Would you like to take part?

The Poetry Slam has been a popular regular event at the City Library through the years. Well-known poets, musicians and performing artists have taken their first steps in the Slam, as the poetry slam is an art form that can be implemented in a variety of ways.

The Poetry Slam 2025 will be held in Grófin City Library on Museum Night, the 7th of February. 

Information for participants

• The poetry slam is open to everyone, 16 years and older.
• Individuals or groups are welcome to perform.
• The poem or writing must be original by the performer or someone else on stage.
• The performance can be up to 3 minutes.
• The performance can be in Icelandic or English.
• A memo is allowed on stage.

Please note that the poem or text itself must be original and cannot be offensive to individuals and/or groups.

How do I apply for participation?

You submit an application with a draft idea of how the item will be transferred to the email address: ljodaslamm@borgarbokasafn.is

Deadline 30th of January

Included in the application

• Performer's name
• Age
• Idea for a scene / performance

What is Poetry Slam?

Poetry Slam is a performance contest where the words and poetry is the main focus. The performance is an artform that can be linked to various performing arts. Traditional poetry reading does not count as poetry slam. The performer(s) can combine the poetry performance with other artforms such as music, visual arts or drama. The jury then judges each performance based on the poem itself, as well as passion and enthusiasm in performance, style and content, and sometimes also based on the audience's reaction.

The poetry slam has its roots in Chicago in the eighties. The idea behind the first competition was to bring poetry from the academy to the public. American poet Marc Smith felt that the poetry scene had become stiff and rigid, so he began experimenting with open mic poetry nights by turning them into competitions and getting participants to slam with enthusiasm and style to shake things up.

Workshops in Poetry Slam

We will offer Poetry Slam workshops during the Fall of 2024. Keep an eye out on our website!

Previous winners 

2024 - Þór Wiium
2023 - Sunna Benjamínsdóttir Bohn 
2017 - Jón Magnús Arnarsson
2015 - Halldóra Líney Finnsdóttir og Hekla Baldursdóttir 
2014 - Brynjar Jóhannesson
2013 - Kælan mikla - Sólveig Matthildur Kristjánsdóttir, Laufey Soffía Þórsdóttir og Margrét Rósa Dóru- Harrysdóttir
2012 - NYIÞ