Alicante’s Cultural Service via the InteractUA platform showcases Alicante’s Poetry Slam, a program that highlights local literary talent. The event carries a clear motto: There is no room to forget. This edition runs as a monthly tournament from December through May, totaling six chapters. Each event features five matches that test seven poets, with three UA students selecting a winner in every session. The final gathering brings together the five previous event winners. The format aims to bring poetry to the public and also present poetry to the broader community, offering a dedicated exhibition space for provincial poets. This fifth edition is produced in collaboration with Vera Lebron, Virginia Carcass, and the UA Cultural Service, supported by Ágora and connected with the federation.
Every session includes a guest poet. Poet Nelo Curti presents a post poetry recital titled Light Mechanics, launching the tournament on December 14, 2023. The next session is planned for Thursday January 25, 2024, at 19.00 in the MUA facilities. The guest artist for that session is Alfonso Paso, a former Alicante and Murcia winner and a Spanish runner-up. The remaining sessions by date are February 29, March 21, April 25, and May 23, to take place at different venues around Alicante and will be announced ahead of each event.
Alicante’s Pablowski wins European Poetry Slam title
The article highlights that great talent emerges from this circuit, with several poets earning recognition across national and European stages.
Mechanism
Slam Poetry is a competitive recital format that welcomes audiences and invites all poets to take the microphone in an open setting. Participants, or multipliers, have three minutes to present their own original texts. The performance relies on voice and body language, and the audience acts as the jury. This interactive element is a cornerstone of the format, which centers on the quality of the text and the accompanying delivery rather than direct clash between contestants. Each performer presents individually, and improvisation is generally avoided to maintain a consistent standard.
three rules
Texts may be spoken or read aloud with a notebook or mobile device used only as a translation aid if needed.
There are three rules: the text must be original to the performer; no music, costumes, or stage effects are allowed; and the time limit for each poem is three minutes.
The audience votes to determine the winner in each competition.
History and context are shared to illuminate the evolution of Poetry Slam in Alicante.
History of Poetry Slams Alicante
The Alicante Poetry Slam has seen five editions since its trial version began. Agora Reix It has promoted and managed these events since 2018, in collaboration with the national federation and the European and international networks. In recent years, more than thirty events have taken place in venues around the city, including cafes in Alicante as well as cultural spaces such as Clan Cabaret, the MACA museum, and the City University of Alicante headquarters.
Finalists who have participated in Spanish competitions in Alicante include Alfonso Paso, who reached the Zaragoza final and placed fifth, and Pablowski, who won the Spanish title and competed in the European final in Rome, where he also won the European championship. That triumph led him to the international round held in Brazil in October 2023, where he ranked as a semifinalist among forty poets from around the world. Last year, Alfonso Paso again won the Alicante 2023 competition, earning a spot in the national championships in Granada where he finished second in Spain. The organizers emphasize that every project should grow, leading to expanded teams and stronger ties with the University of Alicante’s culture program, ensuring the project continues to evolve and flourish in the city.