Individual World Poetry Slam

The Individual World Poetry Slam (iWPS) is a yearly Poetry Slam tournament put on by Poetry Slam, Inc. that pits individual slam poets from around the world against one another.

History

From 1990 to 2007, the National Poetry Slam held an "individual" poetry competition (known as "indies") simultaneously with the team competition, with the poets earning the highest ranking individual poems during the first two days of competition moving on the semifinal and final rounds. The first ever winner of this event was Patricia Smith, who would go on to win the Individual National Poetry Slam Championship title a record four times.[1]

Starting in 2004, Poetry Slam Inc (PSI) decided to host a separate event called the Individual World Poetry Slam (iWPS), in which solo poets (not teams of poets) competed for the championship title.[2] The first iWPS was held in Greenville, SC and the first iWPS champion was Buddy Wakefield.[3]

Because of the popularity of iWPS and to avoid the confusion of two "individual" poetry slam titles being awarded ever year, Poetry Slam Inc. decided to cancel the "indie" competition at the National Poetry Slam.[4]

Format

The tournament has two days of preliminary rounds, in which poets compete in 1, 2, 3, and 4 minute bouts. After these 4 bouts are completed, the poet's rankings in each bout are added up and the top 12 poets of the tournament are invited to compete in the final round. A 3 minute time limit is applied to the poems in the final round.

Individual World Poetry Slam Results by Year

Year Winner Runners Up Number of Competitors Host City
2015 Emi Mahmoud[5] (2) Rasheed Copeland
(3) TIE - FreeQuency & Christopher Michael
(5) TIE - Rudy Francisco & Imani Cezanne
(7) TIE - Porsha O & Javon Johnson
(9) Crystal Valentine
(10) Steven Willis
(11) Paul Tran
(12) D.E.E.P. 		96 Washington, DC
2014 Porsha O[6] (2) Danez Smith
(3) Desiree Dallagiacomo
(4) Hanif Abdurraqib
(5) Will Evans
(6) TIE - Damien Flores & Hieu Nguyen
(8) Ed Mabrey
(9) Joaquin Zihuatanejo
(10) Twain
(11) Imani Cezanne
(12) Leo Bryant 		72 Phoenix, AZ
2013 Ed Mabrey & Chancelier "Xero" Skidmore (Tie)[7] (3) Aaron Samuels
(4) Jozer
(5) Rudy Francisco
(6) Dominique Ashaheed
(7) Carrie Rudzinski
(8) Joaquin Zihuatanejo
(9) TIE - Outspoken Bean & Denice Frohman
 (11) Doc Luben
(12) Antwaun "Twain" Davis 		70 Spokane, WA
2012 Ed Mabrey[8] (2) Thuli Zuma
(3) Melissa May
(4) Seth Walker
(5) Clint Smith
(6) 6 is 9
(7) Franny Choi
(8) Brian "Omni" Dillon
(9) TIE - Lauren Zuniga & George "G" Yamazawa, Jr.
(11) Cameron Awkward-Rich
(12) Lisa Slater 		67 Fayetteville, AR
2011 Chris August[9] (2) Jesse Parent
(3) Kait Rokowski
(4) TIE - Tatyana Brown & Brian "Omni" Dillon
(6) Danez Smith
(7) Alvin Lau
(8) Ed Mabrey
(9) Michael Lee
(10) TIE - Suzi Q Smith & Joanna Hoffman
(12) Storm Thomas
(13) Robyn Bateman

*There were 13 finalists instead of 12 due to a tie at the 12th qualifying rank 		78 Cleveland, OH
2010 Rudy Francisco[10] (2) Jesse Parent
(3) Chancelier "Xero" Skidmore
(4) C. P. Maze
(5) George "G" Yamazawa, Jr.
(6) Thomas "Tre G" Gilbert
(7) Tara Hardy
(8) Alvin Lau
(9) Gary Johnson
(10) Zak "Kane" Corsi
(11) Sasha Langford
(12) Houston Hughes 		72 Charlotte, NC
2009 Amy Everhart[11] (2) Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo
(3) Rudy Francisco
(4) 6 is 9
(5) Theo Wilson
(6) The Original Woman
(7) Tara Hardy
(8) Ed Mabrey
(9) Sierra DeMulder
(10) Kim Johnson
(11) William Evans
(12) Alvin Lau 		96 Berkeley, CA
2008 Joaquin Zihuatanejo[12] (2) Jason McBeth
(3) 6 is 9
(4) Buddy Wakefield
(5) Joshua Bennet
(6) Andrew Tyree
(7) Lizz Straight
(8) Tara Hardy
(9) Colin Gilbert
(10) Bobby LeFebre
(11) Queen Sheba
(12) The Original Woman 		70 Charlotte, NC
2007 Ed Mabrey[13][14] (2) Anis Mojgani
(3) Andrea Gibson
(4) Jamie DeWolf
(5) Dan Leaman
(6) Sonya Renee
(7) Jared Paul
(8) Ryler Dustin
(9) Nicole Homer
(10) Buddy Wakefield
(11) J. W. "Baz" Basilo
(12) Da'shade Moonbeam		 72 Vancouver, BC
2006 Mighty Mike McGee[15] (2) Joaquin Zihuatenejo
(3) Andrea Gibson
(4) Jared Paul
(5) Da Minista
(6) Versiz
(7) Sonya Renee
(8) Stephanie Williams
(9) Krissi Reeves
(10) Rachel McKibbens
(11) Basik Knowledge
(12) Q 		71 Charlotte, NC
2005 Buddy Wakefield[16][17] (2) Versiz
(3) Maze Forever
(4) Roger Bonair-Agard
(5) Joaquin Zihuatanejo
(6) Black Butta Fly (Mekkah)
(7) Chris August
(8) Bluz
(9) Future
(10) Da Minista
(11) MAD
(12) Ansel Appleton 		60 Worcester, MA
2004 Buddy Wakefield[3][18] (2) TIE - Celena Glenn & Ed Mabrey
(4) Rachel McKibbens
(5) Paradox
(6) Alvin Lau
(7) ?
(8) Marcell Murphy
(9) Beth Bullmer[19]
(Other finalists: Ali Langston, Thee Black Falcon, Jonathan Brown, Xodus)		 60 Greenville, SC

See also

References

  1. ↑ Poetry Slam, Inc. Website: Past NPS Winners page
  2. ↑ Poetry Slam, Inc. Website: iWPS page
  3. 1 2 "Individual World Poetry Slam Title Won by Buddy Wakefield".
  4. ↑ Poetry Slam, Inc. Website: NPS FAQ page
  5. ↑ "IWPS 2015: Finals".
  6. ↑ "IWPS 2014: Finals".
  7. ↑ "IWPS 2013: Finals".
  8. ↑ "IWPS 2012: Finals".
  9. ↑ "Congratulations Chris August, iWPS 2011 Champ".
  10. ↑ "Rudy Francisco wins iWPS 2010".
  11. ↑ "The iWPS 2009 Champion is...".
  12. ↑ "iWPS 08 Finals Results".
  13. ↑ "And the Winner of the 2007 Individual World Poetry Slam Is...".
  14. ↑ "Individual World Poetry Slam Final Results".
  15. ↑ "IWPS 2006 Final Night show".
  16. ↑ "Individual World Poetry Slam Title Won by Buddy Wakefield".
  17. ↑ "Individual World Poetry Slam 2005".
  18. ↑ "2004 Slam Info".
  19. ↑ "Beth Bullmer".

External links

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