ABSTRACT
This chapter examines poetry slam in a British context, including discussions surrounding the origins of the poetry slam and youth slam in Britain and tracing a timeline or map of the main slams which exist and have existed in Britain. It will address questions such as whether ‘slam poetry’ is a real category (the poetry slam vs. slam poetry argument), and the cultural specificity of this term, understanding slam as a platform not a genre. Additionally, this chapter will discuss whether slam can be made fair, or whether slam is necessarily league-based, whether slam titles could be positioned as new literary prizes, and whether slam has longevity as an art form, considering both its benefits and pitfalls.
To contextualize this discussion, this chapter will discuss slam overseas, offering cross-cultural comparisons in slam (particularly in the USA, Germany, and the World Poetry Slam in Paris). Ultimately this chapter will address both the past and future of slam, considering incidents such as the Marc Smith CUPSI 2017 incident and Brave New Voices 2016 in the context of keeping up with and representing participants. It will also assess movements away from the standard format for slam events such as anti-slams, and the ‘Dice Slam’.
