FIRST NATIONS
LAND
Australian Poetry Slam acknowledges that we work, live, and tell stories on the unceded lands of the Gadigal People. We pay respect to their Elders past and present. Always was, always will be First Nations land.
APS LIVESTREAMS
COLLECTION
Praise to the poets from around the country who have shared and bared their souls throughout the competition — thank you for being on our stage.
CONNECT WITH US
Comment, like, share, join the conversation.
WORK WITH US
We’re always keen to hear from volunteers to help bring our programs to life. Gain new skills, get a behind-the-scenes look at delivering a literary event, meet like-minded people – and, most of all, have an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
AUSTRALIAN POETRY SLAM 2026
Poets Run This!
Have you ever wanted to change the world with your words?
The nation-wide search for the people’s poet is on.
Who will become our next Australian Poetry Slam Champion?
New slam and workshop dates live here. Dozens more to be launched June to September in small towns and metro centres leading up to the massive APS National Final on 25 October at Sydney Opera House.
You are invited to rip those scrawled leaves of passion from your notebook. Climb an ancient trunk surrounded by story sharers. Throw your thoughts into the current. The slam-storm is coming with heats in over 60 locations around the nation. Get ready.
Poets Run This! – A National Slambassador for 2026. The prize? They tour Austral-Asia sharing their creative thoughts and inspiring people everywhere to speak their own poetry.
Poets: share an original poem for two minutes on the mic.
Audience: listen, cheer, vote with scorecards in this national celebration of spoken-word.
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.
2025 APS National Final: APS ‘25 Champion Arantza Garcia – photo credit: Nicola Bailey
APS ‘25 CHAMPION
CONGRATULATIONS to our 2025 Australian Poetry Slam-bassador: Arantza Garcia Ferrand! 👑👑👑
Hailing from Norwood, SA, Arantza won the South Australia State Final, and her poem that won her the National Final, 'An Ode to Her', was about the strength and versatility of her femininity, reclaiming and re-defining it through the strong examples of her friends, family and tias.
A well-deserved win, Peruvian poet Arantza will receive a prize pack worth $20k that includes international touring of her spoken word, publications and mentoring opportunities.
Congratulations to the runners up and well done to all the poets who made it to the National Final and entered the competition around the country this year.
HELP OUR WORDS TRAVEL
We do a lot with our little piece of the pie but we can’t do it by ourselves.
Check out Creative Director, Miles Merrill’s, message to our supporters and indulge in his favourite pie recipe.
OUR IMPACT
Annually, Word Travels' and Australian Poetry Slam programs engage with thousands of writers and audience members.
In recent years annually we have:
3,714 participants in our programs
307,188 audience members
190 activities
9 arts workers employed
92 paid artists
Your tax-deductible donation helps us support performing writers to establish careers in Australia and internationally. Hundreds of people from diverse regional communities have become working spoken word poets through our programs.
2023 Australian Poetry Slam Champions Rob Waters and K.J. Hayward – photo credit: Jacquie Manning
AUSTRALIAN POETRY SLAM
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SLAM YOUR POETRY: WRITE A REVOLUTION
Australian Poetry Slam partners with NewSouth Publishing to bring you Australia’s first guide to spoken word and poetry slams!
Written by Miles Merrill, the poet who brought slams down under, and award-winning high school teacher Narcisa Nozica, Slam Your Poetry catapults you from writing to performing to gigging, teaching and kick-starting your own slam community.
