Interview with The 2024 APS Champion: Jo Giles

Jo Giles shares how it feels to be the 2024 Australian Poetry Slam Champion; what the poetry community means to them; and the writer that inspires them.

Jo Giles – photo credit: Jacquie Manning

How does it feel to be the 2024 Australian Poetry Slam Champion?

Being the APS champion has been a complex wave of feelings. I wanted this more than I realised and I guess I felt it was super unlikely. 

Most of all, I’m proud of myself and I’m thankful to all the people who believed I could do it – even when I didn’t think I could. 

I’m humbled by the reaction from Perth Slam, the transplant team at Fiona Stanley Hospital, the tai chi class I teach, and the Cystic Fibrosis Team at Royal Perth Hospital – they’re so pleased for me. 

It’s one of those things that anchors you in your community and I feel like my win is a tribute to all of them.

Performing at the Sydney Opera House was one of the best things I’ve experienced and so I’m really thankful to Miles Merrill and co. at Word Travels. It wasn’t until I was there that I realised why the venue matters – it tells all of the finalists that their art is important. It’s genius. 

What does being part of a poetry community mean to you?

I think my poetry community is almost like a family.

Who are your favourite poets and storytellers and why?

Wilfred Owen – because we studied him at school and he was scathing in his critique of a culture that glorified war. Still relevant today.

What is your favourite word, phrase or line?

Singlet

What is one of your favourite lines from your own writing?

You could have slapped me with my non-cancerous pancreas.

On 13 October 2024, Jo Giles won the Australian Poetry Slam National Final with a deeply personal story about the painful and humorous sides of undergoing a lung transplant. They shared their journey living with cystic fibrosis and other illnesses on the Sydney Opera House stage, captivating the audience with a powerful performance that showcased their dry wit and a no-holds-barred approach to storytelling. You can view Jo’s winning performance here. 

Jo lives on Beeliar Boodjar country in the Perth suburb of Hamilton Hill. They write short stories and slam poems. It was a serious health crisis that motivated them to first perform their poetry on stage: 'I have pushed myself to try things I wouldn’t have before I became sick.'

When they aren't writing, sometimes they teach tai chi. Sometimes they sit on the verandah of their railway carriage and look at birds.