Australian Poetry Slam 2025 – Tasmanian State Final at Hobart Library

Hobart Library

A poetry slam is a place for all voices. Join the nation-wide search for the people’s poet. With host Miles Merrill.

Australian Poetry Slam '25

The Australian Poetry Slam (APS) is giving the bullhorn back to the bards. The word nerds. The oral storytellers. The quiet thoughtful ones. The romantics. A poetry slam is a place for all voices. Join the nation-wide search for the people’s poet.

Australia needs all of its stories to inspire the world, not just those told by people in power. Listen as the best spoken-wordsmiths from across Tassie step from the herd and get HEARD! Writers – chosen by audiences in heats from Burnie to Rosny, with a few versifying stops in Launceston, Devonport, Hobart and Deloraine – slam it out in this state-wide finale. Each writer gets two minutes to wow you with their ideas in a form of spell casting called slamming poetry. They electrify your imagination. Then you – the audience – elect two suburban bards to take the Sydney Opera House stage at the Australian Poetry Slam National Final with nothing but a mic, words and deep exhales of honesty. There will be tears, rousing ovations and shouts of joy. It’s time to put a poet in charge. Drop the mic into their open palms. Turn up the amp and feel your heart swell. Then hand over the keys to the House and let POETS RUN THIS! Finals start at: 12:30pm With host Miles Merrill and featuring Hani Abdile, Yvonne Gluyas and Rob Waters. Miles Merrill is the CEO and Creative Director of Word Travels. Originally from Chicago, Merrill is a dynamic writer, performer, facilitator, and producer from the African diaspora. He is known for blending poetry with theatre, experimental audio, hip-hop beats, stand-up comedy, and occasional political confrontation.Merrill is the co-author of Slam Your Poetry – Write a Revolution. He introduced the concept of poetry slams to Australia, co-wrote and co-directed Slamming for Sydney Festival, and has performed extensively at the Sydney Opera House. His international presence includes performances at Krakow's Audio Art Festival and writers' festivals in Indonesia, Canada, India, China, and beyond. Merrill teaches performing writing at NIDA and has worked with NGOs in Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to help them monitor and evaluate their impact.In 2010, he founded the literary arts organisation Word Travels, and in 2007, he established the international Australian Poetry Slam. Through Word Travels, Merrill has spearheaded the production of live performances, educational activities, films, podcasts, and digital innovations across Australia and the Asia-Pacific. Hani Abdile is a Somali-born spoken-word artist and cultural activist whose words resonate with raw emotion and social consciousness.Hani uses her art to advocate for social justice and empowerment, particularly within migrant and refugee communities, and is based in the country of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, in Sydney.Hani’s first book of 43 poems, I Will Rise, was published by Writing Through Fences in 2016. I Will Rise explores how the power of our collective voices can help shape the world to be a better place for the next generation.Hani has performed her work around Sydney and throughout Australia. She continues to write for freedom and human rights. Hani is an honorary member of PEN International, a lead member of Writing Through Fences, and an Ambassador for the Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS).Hani’s work has appeared in ABC, The Sydney Morning Herald, Shark Island Productions, and she has received many awards for her community work and creative art. Yvonne Gluyas is based in Launceston Tasmania and is a writer, poet and storyteller who performs at events throughout Tasmania. She is the State Coordinator of the Tasmanian Heats and Final of the Australian Poetry Slam and is a committee member of both ‘Words United inc.’ and the Tasmanian Poetry Festival. Yvonne assists in running the Poet’s Breakfasts at the Cygnet Folk Festival, is an active member of Toastmasters International, the Society of Women Writers Tasmania and ‘Poetry Pedlars’. Yvonne works as an Entertainer on the ‘Spirit of Tasmania’, bringing storytelling and open mic poetry sessions to travellers on Day Sailings from Geelong to Devonport. She has four adult children, twin five-year-old grandsons and a Maine Coon cat named ‘George’.After completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications at the University of Technology, Sydney, Yvonne worked for a few years as an English Teacher in Northern China, and as a journalist and editor for Chinese print and television media in Beijing. Yvonne gained her Masters Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Tasmania, Launceston, and in her spare time does volunteer work, genealogical research, writing and cooking. Rob Waters is the 2023 Australian Poetry Slam Champion. He has over 20 years of experience writing, performing and teaching Story. Rob empowers people in communities to use oral storytelling and poetry to share their ideas with the world. His debut collection of poetry, I Will Speak Now, was published by Word Travels Press in 2024. Rob has deep cultural connections to the North West region of New South Wales. He is a proud father and grandfather living on Darkinjung Country. Content Warning: Most Poetry Slams are all ages and some content may not be suitable for children. Performances may include strong language and / or adult themes. 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Thank you for helping keep our spaces safe and respectful for everyone. Supported by: The Australian Government through Creative Australia, and the NSW Government through Create NSW. Also supported by Words United, Libraries Tasmania, Word Travels, Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, Mumbai LitFest, Singapore Writers Festival and Byron Writers Festival. #LibrariesTasmania #AustralianPoetrySlam