"Poetry is expression, total freedom, to say things as they are, unafraid yet soft"
For over a decade, we have worked passionately to bring poems from across India and share it with the universal community. The exchange of ideas, philosophy and feelings have given birth to a shared connection between people living across the world cultivating the true essence and power of poetry.
THE RISE OF SLAM POETRY IN INDIA
In our initial years we started by hosting poetry slams in small venues in Delhi. These shows would be filled with young poets who were so passionate to share their lives in the form of verses with others. The synergy between poets and their listeners created higher vibrations that filled up the room.
It motivated us to create wider spaces for the youth to express themselves. We convinced schools and colleges to let spoken word poetry be a part of their extra curriculum activities, and when that finally happened, it was an opportunity to break out the rigidity of old school poetry from 19th century and dive into the contemporary style of spoken word poetry, which was direct, clever and relevant to the students.
WRITTEN POETRY COMPETITION FOR ALL INDIA
As our community grew bigger, we wanted to include voices of poets from across India, from small towns and villages.
In 2017, we launched our online poetry competition 'The Wingword Poetry Prize' where young poets from anywhere in India could send in their works. The winners of the competition are awarded 8 Lakh Rupees in cash prizes each year along with book publication and a chance for their books to be showcased at literary festivals, libraries and book cafes across the world. We encourage young people to carry the legacy of the poets from the past.
Wingword Poetry Prize 2024
We are now accepting submissions for our semi-annual competition. Open to all Indians ✍️
The competition is held online for beginners in poetry, awarding a total sum of 8 Lakh Rupees in cash prizes to winners every year.
The first prize winner receives ₹ 50,000 and an opportunity to have their poetry book published.
Book Publishing
A poetry book is an important first step in helping build your name and fanbase for your writing. It is a way for publishers to find the next big poetry talent. This is exactly the reason you should create one.
Explore how to get published by your favourite organization Delhi Poetry Slam. We will help you from start to finish create a book that fills your heart with pride.
Our Recent Events
Poetic License: Event Celebrating Freedom and Equality
Delhi Poetry Slam hosted a spoken word poetry event at American Centre New Delhi, celebrating independent voices on freedom and equality. The show featured a mix of Indian poets including Dyutima Kapoor, Parul Mahajan, Tushar Srivastava, Shalini Chhabra, Samaira Sood, Parimugdha Nanchahal, Rishika Kaushik and Mira Price, and American poets such as Timothy E.G. Bartel, Javon Rustin and Christia Madacsi Hoffman. The evening made the audience ponder over questions of representation in our society, first amendment rights, gender-based violence and living in harmony. This event was held in association with Kutumb Foundation as a part of the Josh-E-Umang festival.
Poetry Event for French Insitut Jaipur
City for All was a public art festival questioning the role of gender in our cities. Delhi Poetry Slam was invited to showcase dramatized readings on the issue of gender equality at Bikaner House. Our poets performed on stage, drawing attention to the limited access to public spaces for women and transgenders who often feel unsafe and threatened. With the aim to restore access and mobility for minority communities in public spaces, the event was a huge success in making the audience rethink what it means to create a gender-equal society. The show was held at the open air amphitheatre in Bikaner House.
World Mark Aerocity
The goal was to curate a poetry show that would be loved by the Indian and International crowd at World Mark Aerocity and Delhi Poetry Slam made did just that when they brought on stage vibrant poets who performed poems on much needed topics like feminism, racism, social inequality, but also touched about soft topics like friendship, relationship with older parents and expectations in romance. The performers at this event were Saumya Choudhury, Shalini Chhabra, Dyutima Kapoor, Emine Sharma, Indra Das and Parul Mahajan.
Inauguration of Demartcracy Exhibition
Delhi Poetry Slam hosted a poetry event marking the inaugration of DemArtcracy exhibition at American Centre New Delhi. While emphasizing on socio-political rights of citizens and what personal freedom means, our poets performed thought-provoking works that resonated with the audience. We brough to light the dreams and aspirations of the youth for absolute freedom, alongside live painting demonstration by Pramod Jaiswal. The event was held in association with Kutumb Foundation.
