Meet the 2023 APS NSW Finalists

In the lead-up to the Australian Poetry Slam NSW Final, we ask the 2023 NSW Finalists about poetry, slams, community and their favourite storytellers.

Slam Final audience – photo credit: Nicola Bailey

What motivated you to perform your poetry on stage?

To raise awareness and give a voice to the victims of the 2014 Yezidi genocide I was a victim of.
Nada Hassin Ali rep’n Coffs Harbour

Performing my poetry was something I never thought I’d do because it’s so personal to me, but my friend who also does slams in Perth encouraged me to give it a go, so even though I was very nervous I went to my local heat to get out of my comfort zone and share my art and feel very grateful that I get another chance to do so – all thanks to the encouragement of my best friend, my fiancé and my parents!
Jess Lea-Balthazaar rep’n Central Coast

I've been writing my entire life, ever since I knew how to write, and I've been producing content of various kinds for a long time. Once I saw the community at my local poetry slam, I felt so strongly that I knew I had to perform mine.
Grant Teunissen rep’n Wollongong

Poetry is a creative way to speak out and be heard, about issues that concern me.
Zacharey Jane rep’n Byron Bay

My friends told me to give it a go, so I did.
Emily Coffey rep’n South Coast

It's a great platform for sharing Story about issues that matter for Aboriginal peoples. It's truth telling, and truth yelling.
Rob Waters rep’n Central Coast

I've always found it easier to put my thoughts into words on paper than to speak them aloud. In fact, I used to leave handwritten notes on my parents' dresser whenever I needed to communicate something that felt too daunting to say in person. Especially during times of overwhelming emotions, my journal and writing became a source of catharsis for me. I never initially considered sharing my writing aloud; it was always an intensely personal experience.
Danielle Osifo rep’n. Sydney

For me, sharing poetry is like sharing my soul. In casual conversation you typically don't get to see "inside" an individual. I perform to share areas of self so deep that hopefully it gives others the courage to one day do the same.
Eddie "E3" Young rep’n. Sydney

What does a poetry community mean to you?

The community of slam is something very new and exciting to me, I haven’t grown up with a community of artists to share with and it can be scary to be vulnerable, so it’s awesome to have a safe space with other poets who are doing the same thing as you.
Jess Lea-Balthazaar rep’n Central Coast

Everything. We have a vibrant community of poets and storytellers on the coast and it's great to work and perform with so many amazing artists.
Rob Waters rep’n Central Coast

We sorta get each other and can understand each other and relate to each other well.
Emily Coffey rep’n South Coast

A space where I can speak freely and be comfortable.
Nada Hassin Ali rep’n Coffs Harbour

It means a space that is open and forthcoming with, and receptive to, genuine expressions of emotion and thought that can't be contained. It's a space where I feel comfortable sharing truths about myself with strangers, and using language to shape our understandings of each other.
Grant Teunissen rep’n Wollongong

Literary family and the last of a long generation of storytellers.
Eddie “E3” Young rep’n Sydney

To me, the poetry community represents a chosen family. It's a space where you're embraced and valued, where individuals come together with open hearts to listen and support one another. It's a place where there's always room for you, no matter how crowded the floor may be. It is someone waiting up for you while you tie your laces as you fall behind the group. It’s someone moving aside to create room for you in a group circle. Despite my short time in the poetry community, I've found it to be profoundly healing for my inner child. It's a place filled with imaginative and courageous individuals who inspire and uplift one another. It's a haven where creativity, vulnerability, and acceptance coexist, forming a nurturing environment that feels like a chosen family.
Danielle Osifo rep’n Sydney

A place to speak out.
Zacharey Jane rep’n Byron Bay

Who are your favourite storytellers and why?

My family, we are born from thousands of generations of storytellers.
Rob Waters rep’n Central Coast

I'm a huge fan of Rudy Francisco. His ability to combine humor, social critique and introspection is truly world class. I also admire his dedication to elevate and expose the younger generation to the Spoken Word genre. I would be remiss if I did not also mention Langston Hughes. The power behind his words are the sole reason I began to seriously pursue writing.
Eddie “E3” Young rep’n Sydney

My grandfather, Shelton Lea, was a poet by trade who was able to publish several collections while he was alive and he’s a great inspiration to me in terms of poetry. Sylvia Plath’s poetry was also really impactful when we studied it in high school . In terms of fiction, I am a sucker for anything Jane Austen – Pride and Prejudice is my all time favourite.
Jess Lea-Balthazaar rep’n Central Coast

My grandparents because they helped me grow my imagination and love the act of storytelling.
Nada Hassin Ali rep’n Coffs Harbour

Yevtushenko – the depth and breadth of the empathy Milton – Which way I fly is Hell: I myself am Hell Marques – using tarot cards to recall the past, not foretell the future.
Gabriel Donleavy rep’n Guyra

Jerry Holkins, because he has such an incredible grip on the English language and uses his precision in word choice to be emotionally evocative in a way that brings me to tears. Simon Stålenhag, because he started with painting things that were meaningful and fun to him, and wove narrative out of the emergent stories from his paintings. And my close friends, who have both the way with words and the benefit of years of knowing each-other that lets them meet me exactly where I am to tell me a story I never would have stumbled across on my own.
Grant Teunissen rep’n Wollongong

Ana Huang because her writing is absolutely amazing. I love her books with all my heart and I speed through her books. They are so effortless to read and I absolutely adore the characters she has created.
Emily Coffey rep’n South Coast

Watch the APS NSW Finalists compete for the crown of 2023 APS NSW Final Champion at the 2023 APS NSW Final on Friday 6 October at Customs House. Read more about all of the NSW Finalists here.