Brussels receives first World Poetry Slam Championship at the end of September
Brussels will host the first-ever inclusive Poetry Slam World Championship from September 26 to 29. The forty best slam poets from the world compete for the world title in Kinepolis Brussels.
The World Poetry Slam World Championship is the brainchild of the World Poetry Slam Organization (WPSO), a network that unites slammers from around the world. They have been working behind the scenes for two years now and complete as a starting point a joint charter in which inclusion, free expression, decolonization and important values are.
Via the Belgian slam poet Philip Meersman, the bridge was built with co-initiators Creative Writing, Willemsfonds Brussel and the creative agency Hurae. The result is a tournament in which slam poets from Mexico, Chad, Madagascar or Australia participate. Belgium is represented by 32-year-old Marie Darah. She will try her words to knock her out figuratively.
“We use the rules of poetry, but we don’t obey them. That artistic freedom allows you to really tell your own personal story. That’s what makes it so interesting and intense to see other poets at work,” says Darah.
The semi-finals will take place on September 27 and 28, followed by the grand final on September 29. The event will be played in several languages and all lyrics will be projected in Dutch, French, English and Spanish. The Poetry Slam World Championship also offers showcases, workshops and other activities throughout the week at various locations in Brussels.