Dramatic win for hip-hop poet in national slam off
STATE LIBRARY OF NEW SOUTH WALESIn a dramatic 'slam off' Canberra's Omar Musa has won the Australian Poetry Slam 2008, taking home $5,000 plus a gig at the Ubud Readers and Writers Festival next year.
Presented by the State Library of NSW, this historic National Grand Final was performedbefore a sell out crowd at the Sydney Opera House last night [Thursday 4 December].
After calculating the scores of the competing 18 state and territory finalists, a 'slam off'was needed to separate ACT's Omar Musa from Perth's Mark Lloyd.
The 23-year-old hip-hop artist, Omar Musa, emerged as the winner after performing apowerful slam poem about an imaginary conversation with his first born child.
"I'm over the moon, events like this contemporary poetry competition revitalises a love forthe English language and literacy, making poetry more accessible, especially for youngerpeople, by mixing the slam approach and hip-hop," said Omar.
The national finalists had just two minutes to impress the judges (selected at randomfrom the audience) with their original spoken word, poetry, hip-hop, monologues andstories.
The Australian Poetry Slam 08, an initiative of the State Library of NSW and Word Travels, saw more than 600 emerging poets and spoken word artists compete via 40heats held in regional areas and city centres in every state and territory.
The competition was coordinated via state and public libraries, with state-basedprofessional spoken-word artists hosting the heats and running workshops inschools, libraries, pubs and theatre spaces.
For the first time ABC Local Radio broadcast and streamed all state finals, plusthe National Grand Final, enabling more people to participate than ever before, includingthe online community.
"The Australian Poetry Slam 08 gives individuals a stage to share their stories in acomplementary unique and dynamic way, and I'm thrilled that state and publiclibraries are collectively driving this art form at the national level," says Mrs Sutton, NSW State Librarian and Chief Executive.
Spoken word artist and Slam co-organiser, Miles Merrill, and winner Omar
Image: Australian Poetry Slam 08 winner, Omar Musa from Canberra
Presented by the State Library of NSW, this historic National Grand Final was performedbefore a sell out crowd at the Sydney Opera House last night [Thursday 4 December].
After calculating the scores of the competing 18 state and territory finalists, a 'slam off'was needed to separate ACT's Omar Musa from Perth's Mark Lloyd.
The 23-year-old hip-hop artist, Omar Musa, emerged as the winner after performing apowerful slam poem about an imaginary conversation with his first born child.
"I'm over the moon, events like this contemporary poetry competition revitalises a love forthe English language and literacy, making poetry more accessible, especially for youngerpeople, by mixing the slam approach and hip-hop," said Omar.
The national finalists had just two minutes to impress the judges (selected at randomfrom the audience) with their original spoken word, poetry, hip-hop, monologues andstories.
The Australian Poetry Slam 08, an initiative of the State Library of NSW and Word Travels, saw more than 600 emerging poets and spoken word artists compete via 40heats held in regional areas and city centres in every state and territory.
The competition was coordinated via state and public libraries, with state-basedprofessional spoken-word artists hosting the heats and running workshops inschools, libraries, pubs and theatre spaces.
For the first time ABC Local Radio broadcast and streamed all state finals, plusthe National Grand Final, enabling more people to participate than ever before, includingthe online community.
"The Australian Poetry Slam 08 gives individuals a stage to share their stories in acomplementary unique and dynamic way, and I'm thrilled that state and publiclibraries are collectively driving this art form at the national level," says Mrs Sutton, NSW State Librarian and Chief Executive.
Spoken word artist and Slam co-organiser, Miles Merrill, and winner Omar
Image: Australian Poetry Slam 08 winner, Omar Musa from Canberra
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