Enough Said Poetry Slam + Emerging Poets Showcase

Enough Said Poetry Slam is a slamily where you can share your poems/words/stories/etc, listen to other people share theirs, click for your faves and maybe even win a prize!

For the last slam of 2024, the Enough Said Poetry Slam features an Emerging Poets Showcase; six poets chosen in collaboration with Enough Said Books from the poetry community of the Illawarra to read their work together on the night.

The slam portion of the evening will run as normal – sign up to perform at the door.

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EMERGING POETS: 

Elva Tiang
Portia O'Connor
Selena Buckham
Kim Williams
Zohal Arbabzada
Catherine Solis-Dyball

6:30pm - DOORS OPEN + SLAM SIGN-UP
7:00pm - POETRY BEGINS

ENTRY

$10 - standard
$5 - unwaged/student/concession

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VENUE

Entry to The Forge is down a short driveway between Gwynneville Bakery and The Asian Takeaway on Gipps Road. It's a two-minute walk from the nearest free bus stop, a less than fifteen minute walk from North Wollongong train station, and there's plenty of free parking on the surrounding streets.

There is unfortunately no disabled access toilet available at the venue (there is a portaloo), however the venue is wheelchair accessible.

BYO drinks and food are welcome, takeaway is available from surrounding restaurants.

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POETRY SLAM RULES

Sign up at the door when you arrive if you'd like to perform. Everyone is welcome, from bedroom poets to experienced performers. 

3-minute time limit, no props or costumes, jump up on stage with a mic and share your original poems, stories, raps, rants and monologues with a live and engaged audience.

Random people from the audience become the judges, and the highest-scoring poet wins! 1st, 2nd & 3rd place prizes to be awarded!

But remember: The points are not the point, the point is poetry!

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ABOUT THE POETS

Elva Tiang is a poet who loves to express her observations of a changing world and her emotions through her own experiences of 27 years of life. Her poems are raw and honest, and a place where she can exercise discernment that often bring her clarity and healing. She won the Enough Said Poetry Slam in October 2024.

Portia O'Connor is a special education teacher that has rediscovered her love for poetry thanks to Enough Said slams. She uses poetry writing as a way to stay present, take in everything life has to offer & help process all the emotions that come with it. Portia is still learning & experimenting with poetry styles & is continuously inspired by other poets.

Selena Buckham is a 26 year old Australian/American social worker and poet who has been writing for as long as she can remember. Her work is inspired by love, loss and the wisdom elderly patients often impart onto her. She has been an Enough Said Poetry support feature, a feature poet at Word for Word and a heckler of creepy men in public places everywhere.

Kim Williams is an artist and sessional lecturer in visual arts at the University of Wollongong. Her multidisciplinary art practice explores complex environmental issues, often through collaboration with other artists and communities. Kim does not claim to be a poet, but enjoys writing poetry when moved to do so.

Zohal Arbabzada is a medicine student and International Studies graduate who is a Western Sydney gal at heart but has come to love the South Coast. She has been attending poetry slams around Greater Sydney ever since discovering the existence of slam poetry, and finally took the nervous leap and performed her first poem earlier this year. Zohal is a future aspiring author, a huge bookworm, a history buff and an all round humanities gal.

Catherine Solis-Dyball has been writing poetry for three years now, and writing songs for much longer. She was moved to start writing poetry by the desire to make magic out of nature, archaeology, and the beautiful people around her! Cat uses the art of writing to help her communicate and make sense of the world and her experiences, allowing her to string messy thoughts into coherent (and sometimes abstract) sentences.

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We acknowledge our events take place on the land of the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal nation and pay our respects.

Enough Said Poetry Slam is supported by the South Coast Writers Centre and The Dire Theatre Company.