One of the cornerstones of the Margate Bookie litfest, The Bookie Slam always manages to bring dynamism, extraordinary performances and the top names in spoken word poetry. We check in with emcee and Slam host Connor Sansby to tell us what to expect.
What’s the Margate Bookie Slam all about?
The Bookie Slam is a competitive live poetry night, drawing inspiration from stand-up, pro-wrestling and the great tradition of slam poetry. It’s supposed to be the poetry night that changes people’s minds about poetry.
Where did the idea for the Bookie poetry slam come about?
I was running open mics when we began discussing the Bookie Slam, and I realised with the platform the Bookie is building, we had the opportunity to help elevate the poetry community. We crown the Kent Poetry Champion, which helps give people credibility when they go for funding or apply for events.
Who’s taking part?
We’ve got The Repeat Beat Poet headlining, who I think is one of the most journeyed poets I’ve ever met. Brilliant person, great stage presence. He’s one of those people who really seems effortless in his presentation. Easily one of the most important voices in UK poetry frankly. He’s just launched his debut collection, too!
So far, we’ve got Sam Tate, a really wonderful human being who I worked with on WinchesterFest, who spent the last two years waiting for his shot at the belt which he recently won in Faversham. He’ll be defending his belt against Ciarán Barata-Hynes, who is probably the best poet I’ve seen come up in the last 2 years – they both put in an incredible amount of work and have wonderfully contrasting styles so that’ll be a fantastic head-to-head to witness.
Where and when can we see you at the litfest?
We’ll be at Elsewhere, a killer venue just by Cecil Square. Proper gig space, love the staff and the community they bring. We’ll be running on Saturday the 4th from 7pm sharp, right after the Zine Launch!
Grab tickets quickly because we usually sell out!
Take a look at our Bookie Slam Timeline to find out more.