Motif Poetry presents
Wellington Poetry Slam Champions
Our thanks to venue partners the National Library of New Zealand, BATS Theatre & Fringe Bar
2022
Amy Grace Laura is an award-winning theatre-maker and writer. Her poetry has been featured on Noise Medium, in Poems4Peace, and in the 2014 New Zealand Poetry Society Anthology. You can discover her other work, which includes puppetry, creative art, theatre, and events on her website. But, most importantly Amy loves to play and launch herself down the Central Park flying fox in Te Whanganui-a-Tara!
Amy was the 2022 co-winner with Devon Webb. www.amygracelaura.com |
2021 & 2022
Devon Webb is a full-time poet & writer based in Pōneke. She is the two-time Wellington Slam Poetry Champion, has been published both locally & internationally, & is currently working on an album of her spoken word & the final editing processes of her debut novel, The Acid Mile. She’s also taken on the role of the New Zealand Poetry Society Youth Poet in Residence, curating events & opportunities for young poets nationwide.
Devon was the 2022 co-winner with Amy Atkins. TikTok, Facebook, Instagram: @devonwebbpoetry Twitter: @DevTalks_nz Photo credit: Jechtography |
2019 & 2020
Tarns Hood is a Wellington based Performance Poet who describes the ordinary with a lick of quick, tricky language. A rhythmically risky Raconteur, Tarns slams some animated, comedic and sometimes grim, witty words that mostly rhyme. Credentials; She's won and placed in some local and national comps, been printed in publications, heard over airwaves and featured in shows and stuff.
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2018
Esme Oliver is a poet, dungeon master and barista residing the great Te Awakairangi/Lower Hutt. She is fascinated with the way storytelling can connect people. Lately her poetry has focused on identity, spirituality, and the fight for wholeness. When she’s not writing, she can be found swapping dad jokes over the espresso machine at Trade School Kitchen in Naenae or beating her fiancé at board games.
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2017
RikTheMost is a vegan, queer, non-binary, polyamorous spoken word artist, who spends most of their spare time making homophobes feel uncomfortable. They have been commissioned by the BBC, toured and represented Australia at the American National Team Slam Championships, ranked 2nd two years in a row at the New Zealand Individual Slam Finals, been published by "Write About Now" (one of the most popular spoken word YouTube channels in the world) and are currently residing and working in NZ on the prestigious “Exceptional Talent In The Arts Visa”.
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2016
Michael Howard is a prize-fighter rhyme-writer. The love child of Tupac and your grandparents, his work is equal parts mad flows and dad jokes. He was the co-creator of the 2017 NZ Fringe Festival poetry show Open Mike Night. Everything he's ever written is cringingly wonderful. A bit like he is.
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2015
Jessie Fenton is a Poetry Idol winner, a national slam finalist, and a recipient of the Bernard Brown Literary Award. In 2018 she competed across North America, winning the famous Nuyorican Poetry Slam and the Vancouver Poetry Slam before becoming the University of British Columbia slam champion and competing in the Canadian National Poetry Competition. She's now the Auckland Regional champion, but Wellington is always in her heart
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2014
Captain Houndstooth's writing provides views from an off centre position in society. Having spent time living off the land, the streets and the ocean, the experiences he has to share are interesting and thought provoking.
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2013
Michael Gray lives in Wellington, New Zealand. As an animator and illustrator, Michael discovered spoken word poetry as another, more immediate avenue for storytelling.
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2012
Randi Janelle found a family and home away from home in Poetry in Motion. The choice vibes and support from Welly poets encouraged her to tour in NZ and Oz, and continue performing poetry when she returned to the States after a 2.4 year love affair.
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2011
Ali Jacs is a performance poet on a mission to save the world through creative persuasion. Mostly, she writes about the view she can see from behind her eyes.
Ali travelled to Minneapolis in 2013 for the Women of the World Poetry Slam. |
Kerry Dalton (she/her) is a poet, writer and social activist who lives at Paekākāriki beach and always has sand in her shoes. She has only recently discovered the nerve wracking joy of poetry slams and is inspired by their inclusivity, energy and potential to start a revolution.
Kerry has had poetry published in the Spinoff and placed in the NZ Poetry Society International competition and was the 2023 NZ WOMAD Poetry Slam Champion. |
2022
Jordan Shaskey (Jor Dansaren) is the poet personification of the phrase "short and sweet". Based in Ōtautahi, she is a regular Pōneke visitor
There she is known for her stage presence, goddess energy, and authenticity. Her work regularly touches on LBGT issues, neurodivergence, or the dichotomy of enjoying life in a stressful world. When she isn't writing or working, she is most likely playing with fire, throwing axes, or exploring Aotearoa. |
2021
Renae Williams is a Te Ātiawa dreamer living in Te-Whanganui-a-Tara, who’s terrible with a paintbrush and above average with a metaphor. Forever a student to life, Renae has written poems about all things human experience—ranging from mental health, love, self-discovery, and asymmetrical titties. No stigmatised stone left unturned with this one. In her spare time, Renae likes to advocate for women’s and indigenous rights, and enjoys a sprawl on the floor with her cat.
insta: @renizzly_ |
2020
Emma Sidnam (Acrylix) is a Wellington based poet, singer/songwriter, and creative writing student at the Institute of Modern Letters. Known for passion, speed, and speaking Spanish and French, Emma is passionate about advocating for a representative and accepting New Zealand. Emma has had short stories and poetry published and hopes to one day be a full-time artist. In her spare time, she drinks too much tea, runs, and likes asking people intense questions.
insta: @acrylix56 |
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Motif Poetry | Ruri Tūtohu © 2024
Charity number: CC55993 Patron: Aotearoa New Zealand Poet Laureate Chris Tse |