Australian Poetry Slam Southern Highlands Heat (including Southern Tablelands)

Have you ever wanted to change the world with your words? You are invited to rip those scrawled leaves of passion from your notebook and ignite them on stage. 

Every year, since 2007, Word Travels runs Australian Poetry Slam (APS) heats in over 60 locations across the Asia-Pacific. APS is the cupped hand amplifying the shouts of over 2000 new and emerging writers annually.

Share your words for two minutes on the mic. By throwing your ideas into the slam-storm, you could be chosen as the 2026 Australian Poetry Slam-bassador and offered an international writers’ festival tour worth about $20K.

Use your poems to spark new dreams, clear out cobweb memes or offer listeners a sturdy eucalypt branch with a better view. This is your call.

Get up. Gather at your local slam. Share with your community.

Jump on the mic or listen, cheer and hold-up scorecards as part of the audience in this international celebration of spoken-wordsmiths. Electrify us. Show the world how POETS RUN THIS!

This APS Heat audience will send two writers to represent the Southern Highlands (and Southern Tablelands) in a performance at the NSW Final. The top 16 in the country make it to the National Final at Sydney Opera House on the 25th October.

The night will be hosted by Hani Abdile from Word Travels.

Hani Abdile is a Somali-born spoken-word artist and cultural activist whose words resonate with raw emotion and social consciousness. 

Doors open/poets sign-up from: 6:30pm
Slam starts at: 7:00pm

Please note: To keep things fair, performers will be selected via a random draw during the event. Buying a ticket does not guarantee you will perform on the night, as the final lineup depends on the total number of registrations.

Content Warning: Most Poetry Slams are all ages and some content may not be suitable for children. Performances may include strong language and / or adult themes.

See www.australianpoetryslam.com for full 2026 details.
Head to www.wordtravels.info to find out more about how you can get involved with the not-for-profit organisation presenting the annual APS.

Australian Poetry Slam is presented by Word Travels. This project is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW. Also supported by Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, Mumbai LitFest, Singapore Writers Festival and Byron Writers Festival. 

APS 2026 artwork design: Rachel Stone Designs and DEFNE. Concept: Miles Merrill and the Word Travels team. Poem excerpt in design: APS Champion 2025 – Arantza Garcia Ferrand.