Repping Hive at One Mic Stand Poetry Slam, Manchester…
The vibrations coming from the DJ booth echoed out like the nerves in my chest. I was here to represent Hive Young Writers Network AND South Yorkshire at One Mic Stand poetry slam, competing against young poets from networks across England. And in Manchester, a city I’d never been to. But was I prepared for the action?
Indeed, I felt as if I was a lone ranger battling against the barrage of my own thoughts. But here I was, feeling less combat, more drama. The first thing I noticed was how diverse and inviting the audience was. It felt like a great cross-section of life in the UK and all in an art setting. Enter stage right, The Sacrificial Poet (Skye Lilly) last year’s winner, returned to the platform to deliver the contestants from their own versions of bravery! Their performance was absolutely mind-blowing. She spoke of connections and communications, the essence of what it is to be human. Her words were lexical literacy. Hearing and watching her perform was like breathing pure air after being submerged under water.
After a roaring applause from the audience, we entered the Intro-Round. Up first was Nara Rasool, who mentioned being a trained actress. Nothing could have prepared me for the way I felt as she performed her piece. Every word, every phrase, was packed with pace and emotion, as she spoke about the tragedies of the attacks in Gaza. But that night, we surely felt an atomic piece of it.
The judges held up their scores out of ten: Nine! Nine! Nine! And then… me. I stood up, and I smiled, took a deep breath and walked up to the stage as if I owned it. I wasn’t just doing this for me. I was doing it for Doncaster.
When I got up to the mic, I held the stage for a second, and a hush fell over the crowd. Once I took a deep breath, I felt a sense of serenity, like somehow, I got this. I delivered a poem that was very close to my heart, about being in your 20s in the 2020s. It related to growing up in this economy to a disastrous night out.
As I reeled off my metaphors in rhyme, I heard finger clicks of agreement from the audience members, and even from the MC! “…the lack of job security is really nothing new to me, you call it social purity, I call it an abuse you see…” My jibes at the system were felt across the room, and you could cut the tension with a knife. As I ended on “black out, then you wake up, saying you have been spiked, babe? Just take the damn kebab, I ain’t comin’ out tonight!” I heard a burst of applause from an audience I hadn’t ever met. The warmth of creative community spread through me. But it wasn’t to last…
As I exited stage left, the judges held up their scores for content: Seven! Six! Six! For performance: Seven! Eight! Six! My heart sank a little. Would I make it to The Battle Round with a 6/10? I tried to hide my feelings with a smile, because I truly did my best.
The night went on. We heard beautiful and authentic poetry from the other young competitors. I tried not to focus too much on the numbers, and kept a smile fixed on my face. And, you know even though I didn’t make it to the second round, I still had an excellent experience and time.
In the words of the MC, the points are not the point. The point is indeed the poetry. I participated, I got treated like I was important (they kindly paid my travel and even a very nice hotel). But most of all, I got to share and hear words from the heart from national talent stretching across the nation. What more could I want? I came last… but I also came first. Because I was there.
……
Youth slams and experiences like the one I had are so important for young poets developing their talent and networking skills. Being in that space reminded me how vital creative community platforms are, and how much they matter. I run an open mic in Doncaster called Scribes and Vibes, and the night truly inspired me to keep building it, to keep creating spaces where voices can be heard, supported, and celebrated.
A huge thank you to One Mic Stand, Hive Young Writers Network, the Forward Prize Young Poets Network and for making this opportunity possible. Shout out to Tolu Agbelusi, Vicky Morris and [anyone else] for their support and encouragement.
Photo courtesy of photographer Alex Morgan