WORDS: Maria Hagan
I saw there was a lot of interest for a purely performance-based poetry night that was open to newcomers.
A new spoken word competition bringing together a wide range of Dublin talent has made its debut in Accents Lounge on Stephen Street Lower. Slam Sunday is Aidan Murphy’s latest Dublin literary venture. Organiser of the esteemed open mic night, Monday Echo, at International Bar, Aidan has now turned to slam poetry. Slam Sunday is set to take place once a month in the café, starting at 7pm.
It is the opening night and the venue’s downstairs lounge is perfect for the event. There’s an inviting set up of cozy sofas and bean bags to sink into with a mug of coffee and a peanut butter slice — an ideal place to sit back and unwind. I had noticed lately that it is a popular spot with writers, and sure enough, I spot familiar faces I have seen on my regular visits to the café. There’s a buzz around the room as we wait for the slamming to begin.
Anyone can participate and three cash prizes of €50, €30 and €20 are up for grabs. “It’s a good way of getting money into the hands of poets,” Aidan explains. “The long-term goal is to get sponsorship for the event every month to cover the prize money.” Twelve poets’ names are plucked from a hat to take part, and five judges are chosen from the remaining names.
Aidan introduces the genre as originating in the States in the early 80s. Slam poetry is a blend of traditional poetry and rap — rhymes and puns recited fast and from memory, with an alluring rhythm and pace, delivered in three minute sets. Props and costumes are forbidden, so as to strip down performance and place particular emphasis on delivery and voice. We are invited to holler and snap our fingers in reaction to the poets as they speak. Hesitant at first, by the end of the evening we are all reaping the benefits of this participation. Not a single poet leaves you indifferent to their words. The evening is filled with accessible poems addressing social and political issues, discussions about Irish identity, history, sexuality, family, all wrapped in words charged with an invitation to reflect.
The first event is truly promising and the standard is exceptional. This month’s winner is John Cummins whose witty poems, word play, and fantastic delivery have been described as “Breaking Bard”. Second place is awarded to Kevin Dwan, whose thoughtful use of imagery is enchanting. Third place is based on audience response, and goes to Cathal Holden whose poem beautifully twists anecdotes from children’s stories into a larger narrative.
True to its heritage, Dublin is still one of the world’s literary heartlands. Poetry has acquired a somewhat dusty reputation for being stale and out of touch with everyday life, but this event proves just how relevant and engaging it is. The added element of “slam” revitalises poetry and demonstrates how fundamentally important storytelling still is for Ireland. Come along to Slam Sunday, it’s an ideal place to crush those negative end-of-the-weekend vibes and recharge for the week with a dose of artistic creation; a lovely, lazy Sunday evening hangout.
Plus, it’s free.
Slam Sunday will be back on the 3rd of November. Stay up to date with the event’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/slam.sunday.
