According to my ‘memories’ on Facebook, this time last year, I was performing as the feature artist for the first SA heat of the Australian Poetry Slam. I was offered the gig after being named the South Australian State Champion in the 2018 competition, an honour which led to me being flown to Sydney to perform as a national finalist at the Sydney Opera House. If you haven't seen it, the video is on YouTube.
That was the first year I ever entered the Australian Poetry Slam, and performing as a feature artist for one of the following year’s heats had me itching to enter again. Of course, given that my daughter was due to be born the same week as the 2019 State Final, I opted to sit that one out.
This year, the world is full of uncertainty, but the dates for the heats have been announced, beginning at the end of this coming week. It is hard to predict anything in the current landscape, and this competition is no exception. Still, I have been practicing my pieces, getting excited at the idea of competing again. I can’t wait to get back on that stage, and I can’t wait to see who steps up there with me.
-SJJ