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For the first time in its 34-year history, the Southern Fried Poetry Slam Festival is coming to Orlando. The Literary Arts Council of Central Florida (Website) has announced that Orlando will host the 34th Annual Southern Fried Poetry Slam Festival from June 9-13, bringing more than 200 poets, 32 competing teams, and 32 independent competitors to Central Florida for five days of championship slams, open mics, workshops, and cultural programming at multiple venues across the region.
Founded in 1993, Southern Fried Poetry is one of the most celebrated spoken word tournaments in the country. The LACCF, a local nonprofit co-founded by Shawn Welcome, former Poet Laureate for the City of Orlando, and Alex Gurtis, secured the event as part of its mission to expand the literary arts across Central Florida. “Orlando has always had a vibrant literary and spoken word community. We have been building it for years, brick by brick, mic by mic,” said Welcome in a prepared statement.
The festival opens Tuesday, June 9, with the #ReviveZora Kickoff, a tribute to Zora Neale Hurston held at the Eatonville library in the town where she was born. From there, the week spreads across Orlando venues including the Orlando Public Library, CityArts, Tech Hub Orlando, the JB Callahan Community Center, and wraps Saturday, June 13, with the Final Stage and Celebration at the Orlando Museum of Art. Side events include a Haiku Death Match, Monologue Slam, and a variety of open mics throughout the week. Nearly $20,000 in total cash prizes are on the table, with the first-place team taking home $5,000.
Sponsors include Dr. Phillips Charities, Ginsburg Family Foundation, United Arts of Central Florida, Florida Citrus Sports, Florida Blue, and Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs.
Tickets and the full schedule are available at southernfriedpoetry.com.
