NZ Poetry Slam national final once again in Ōtautahi/Christchurch

Featuring the 2019 regional champs from around Aotearoa New Zealand including Ōtautahi's own multiple champ, Ray Shipley and 2019 runner-up Melanie McKerchar.

Saturday 23rd November, doors open 7pm
Papa Hou, YMCA
12 Hereford St, Christchurch Central
Tickets: $20 / $15

NZ Poetry Slam 2018 National Final - in Christchurch!

It's been years in the coming (is that even a thing?) but finally the NZ Poetry Slam is about to have it's grand final in the South Island. Last year's champion Daisy Speaks (Daisy Lavea-Timo) broke the stranglehold of the north on the title of NZ Slam Champion and now she's helping to bring the event itself to Ōtautahi/Christchurch.

Just another milestone in the remarkable renaissance of spoken word in Christchurch and nationally over the last 15 years.

Today's the day, if you're in Christchurch get along to see the best of this year's regional slam champs battle it out on the mic for the national title. Local two-time champion Ray Shipley will lead a three person challenge from Ōtautahi including Barrett Rob and Troy Buckland.

The venue is the pretty much brand new Haeata Community Campus auditorium in Aranui.

Christchurch Poetry Slam in association with WORD Christchurch

For the first time ever, we're proud to present the Christchurch Poetry Slam as part of WORD Christchurch, the bi-annual literary festival for readers, writers and the bi-curious.

One of the biggest events on the Christchurch literary calendar, the Slam is going to be even bigger this year due to its inclusion in the festival programme and the interest generated from last year's champion Daisy Speaks going on to take out the NZ Poetry Slam in Hamilton.

There's even more on the line here as the NZ Poetry Slam will this year be hosted in Christchurch, so the 2018 ChCh champ gets to take home crowd advantage for the first time ever.

The Christchurch Poetry Slam 2018 will be hosted by the ever-irreverent Ciaran Fox, Slam Master (an honorary title if ever there was one) and featuring a special guest performance by NZ Slam impresario and one of the world's great performance poets Carrie Rudzinski. 

Pitting poet against poet, newcomer vs old-timer, it's poetry but not as you know it. (Unless you've been to one before...) The audience judges and the challenge to the poets is to connect, communicate and cut through.

Door sales only and this event will likely sell out so don't be late, either as audience or poet. Doors open and sign-up starts at 7pm. There is a limit of 12 slammers, first in, best dressed.

The official NZ Poetry Slam rules are here.

Book launch! Catalyst Volume 13, Instant Chemistry

Yes it's that best of all times for us - when we get to announce the launch of the latest volume of the flagship publication from our Republic of Oma Rāpeti Press.  That's right, it's the arrival of a brand new, bouncing baby Catalyst - lucky volume 13.  And this one carries those rarest of rare Catalyst things - a subtitle!

Catalyst 13: Instant Chemistry
launching Thursday 25th August
in two sessions: 6pm-6.30pm & 6.45-7.15pm
at The Last Word, New Regent St

Catalyst 13 features poetry from our sister city Seattle, China, Bulgaria, Slam Poetry, and some of the leading poets from New Zealand.

We're excited to be featured in this year's WORD Christchurch programme in the New Regent Street Pop-Up Festival. The event will feature: Lady Poets, Catalyst poets, sci-fi and fantasy, erotica, flash fiction, live storytelling and more, in a variety of bars, cafés and shops on the evening of Thursday 25 August.  The book launch of Catalyst 13 will run with two sessions at 6pm - 6.30pm & 6.45pm - 7.15pm, at The Last Word.

The MC for the launch will be Ciaran Fox, with readings by contributors, featuring: Doc Drumheller, Mohamed Hassan, Ken Arkind, and Carrie Rudzinski. 

For more awesome literary action check out the rest of the programme for: WORD Christchurch

Catalyst Road Show 3 - US Slam Poets Tour NZ

Yep, we're back with another Road Show and the line up is looking sweet.

We're proud to present as our feature guests renowned slam poets from the USA Carrie Rudzinski and Ken Arkind currently touring NZ.  Ably supporting these wandering wordsmiths are Michelle Bolton, Doc Drumheller, Ciaran Fox, Kimberley Holmes and Phoebe Wright.

Catalyst Road Show 3
Thurs 13th June, 8pm
The Darkroom (336 St Asaph St)
Free + first 30 peeps get a free chapbook! 

We're at a brand new venue for the Road Show (3 gigs, 3 venues so far!) - The Darkroom on St Asaph St, and a lovely venue it is too.  We are fortunate to be hosting Ken and Carrie in Christchurch - they are incredible performers and this show is a must-see if you are at all interested in spoken word poetry.  And thanks to the Darkroom, it's FREE.  Plus the first 30 peeps through the door will get a free copy of the limited edition Catalyst Road Show 3 chapbook.  Nice!  Check out the back story for Carrie and Ken below...

Ken Arkind is a National Poetry Slam Champion, Nuyorican Poets Café Grand Slam Champion, published author, and featured Tedx Speaer who has performed his work in 49 States, Australia, New Zealand Ireland, the UK, and at over 150 colleges and universities. He is the Executive Director and head Brave New Voices coach for The Denver Minor Disturbance Youth Poetry Project, an independent literary arts organization dedicated to helping Colorado youth find their voices through the mediums of poetry and performance, and current Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Champions.  For more about Ken see here.

Carrie Rudzinski, named “Best Female Poet” and “Best of The Rest” at her first national poetry competition in 2008, is a full time performance poet who has performed her work across the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and India. She represented the Boston Poetry Slam at the 2010 Individual World Poetry Slam, twice at the National Poetry Slam (2010/2011), and ranked 14th at the 2011 Women Of The World Poetry Slam. Most recently, she represented Denver’s Mercury Café at the 2013 Women Of The World Poetry Slam. Her newest collection of work, The Shotgun Speaks, will be published in May 2013.  For more about Carrie see here.