HBRW 2026 - Hawke's Bay Te-Matau-a-Māui Poetry Slam 2026
It’s a war of words with only one winner. A selection of the bravest and best regional spoken word poets bare their souls, competing to win the hearts and minds of randomly selected, completely unqualified judges. Each competitor braves the stage, sharing their own original work. This is not the poetry you learned at school. Slam is raw, real and relevant.
Three knockout rounds will decide who will be crowned as Hawke’s Bay’s ninth Slam Poetry Champion, and go on to represent the region in the national contest. You can learn more about the growing world of slam poetry in Aotearoa over at motifpoetry.co.nz.
Think you’ve got what it takes to take the trophy? If you're based in Hawke's Bay and have three original poems to share of less than three minutes length each, contact Common Poets Society on Facebook, email us at hbpoetryslam@gmail.com or express your interest to the good staff at Wardini Books.
Slam is a celebration of word play – the point is the poetry, not the points!
When
Thursday 15 October, 7:00pm
Cost
Where
Arts Inc. Hawke's Bay, Hastings, Hawke's Bay / Gisborne
106 Russell Street South, Hastings, Hawke's Bay / Gisborne
