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 four times, a record she shares with Ed Mabrey.Poetry Slam, Inc. Website: Past NPS Winners page
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.Poetry Slam, Inc. Website: iWPS page The first iWPS was held in Greenville, South Carolina (SC) under the direction of Kimberly J. Simms and the first iWPS champion was Buddy Wakefield.
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.Poetry Slam, Inc. Website: NPS FAQ page
In 2016, the competition was held in Flagstaff, Arizona. In 2017, it was held in Spokane, Washington (WA) and in 2018-2019 it was held in San Diego, California (CA). When PSI dissolved, the name was taken by the Dallas Poetry Slam who planned to organize the event in 2020. After being derailed for years by the pandemic, iWPS is rumored to return in 2023 under new leadership.
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.
Tournament results by year
Year Winner Runners up Number of Competitors Host city2019Jay Ward, Akeem Olaj, Breeze (Tie)(4) Meccamorphosis(5) Anita D(6) TIE - Xach Blunt & RJ Wright(8) TIE - Yaw Kyeremateng & Doctor TJ (10) Hakeem Furious(11) Cocoa Flo(12) TIE - Kimberly Arrington & Bluz (14) Jael Benjamin74San Diego, CA2018Mic Ting(2) Natasha Hooper(3) Koi aka Coy(4) David G(5) Wayne Henry(6) Jay Ward(7) Yaw Kyeremateng(8) Curtis Davis(9) Melania Luisa(10) TIE - Shasparay Lighteard & Breeze(12) Rio Chanae(13) Ryan J84San Diego, CA2017Arvind Nandakumar(2) Anthony McPherson(3) Kenneth Something(4) Rudy Francisco(5) Kofi Dadzie(6) RJ Walker(7) Damien McClendon(8) Asia Bryant-Wilkerson(9) Christopher Michael(10) Steven Willis(11) Yaw Kyeremateng(12) Michael Harriot(13) Jahman Hill(14) Ed Mabrey90Spokane, WA2016Ed Mabrey(2) Rage Almighty(3) Patrick Roche(4) Joaquin Zihuatanejo(5) Ebo Barton(6) Akeem Olaj(7) Johnny Osi(8) FreeQuency(9) Jozer(10) TIE - Toaster & Ashlee Haze(12) Emtithal Mahmoud(13) Christopher Michael(14) Steven Willis96Flagstaff, AZ 2015 Emtithal Mahmoud (2) Rasheed Copeland(3) TIE - FreeQuency & Christopher Michael(5) TIE - Rudy Francisco & Imani Cezanne(7) TIE - Porsha O & Javon Johnson(9) TIE- Crystal Valentine & TaneshaNicole (10) Steven Willis (11) Paul Tran(12) D.E.E.P. 96 Washington, DC 2014 Porsha O (2) Danez Smith(3) Desireé 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) (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 (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 (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 (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 (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 (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 (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 (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 (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 (2) TIE - Celena Glenn & Ed Mabrey(4) Rachel McKibbens(5) Paradox(6) Alvin Lau(7) ?(8) Marcell Murphy (9) Beth Bullmer(Other finalists: Ali Langston, Thee Black Falcon, Jonathan Brown, Xodus) 60 Greenville, SC
See also List of performance poets National Poetry Slam Oral poetry Performance poetry Poetry Slam Poetry Slam, Inc. Spoken word Women of the World Poetry Slam
References
External links Official Poetry Slam Incorporated Homepage