Young poets bring radical hope

13 October 2022

Young poets from the Northern Rivers read their work to record crowds at the Poets Out Loud Youth Slam, part of the Byron Bay Writers Festival.

The event, held at the Regent Theatre in Murwillumbah on 26 August, presented nine young poets from across the Northern Rivers. The night showcased the Tweed as a vibrant hub for young creatives - where young people are given the opportunity to let their talents thrive.  

The theme of this year’s event was radical hope.

Performances on the night were stepped in emotion and passion for prose. The young poet’s subject matter ranged from issues like anxiety and homophobia to the impacts of the recent floods. 

Poets Out Loud director Sarah Temporal said the standard of this years’ entries were high, and the nine finalists were thoroughly deserving of the accolades they received.

“This was a fantastic opportunity for young writers to perform live in front of a big audience and express themselves on issues which are important to them” Ms Temporal said.

Boaz Blennerhassett was proclaimed the winner of the Slam. He took home a trophy and a $400 prize for his work. He also gave praise to the free pizza on the night.

“I now see that performing poetry is something I can do” he said.

The evening also featured a performance by slam poetry champion of Australia, Huda Fadlelmawla.

Judge Sonia Caeiro said the young voices each presented their own form of radical hope within their work.

“All of these young voices are so humbling - they humbled us with their truth; with the lens of their world,” she said.

“There’s a lot of themes we’ve all experienced: anxiety, the environment, disaster, identity; and we have this radical hope that it’s going to be better.”

The Poets Out Loud Youth Slam, part of the 2022 Byron Writers Festival, was supported by Council. 

You can view the Youth Slam performances at poetsoutloud.org/youth