Slam Poetry Contest 2026, Spoken Word
Quick answer: Enter Writory's monthly slam poetry contest online. Submit your written slam piece, win cash prizes, get a certificate, and see a five criteria score breakdown.
Slam poetry is built to hit, urgent, rhythmic, and unafraid, and that force survives on the page. Writory's monthly international poetry contest accepts written slam and spoken word pieces as text submissions, judged for the same fire that fills a room. Entries open on the 1st and close on the 25th of every month, results arrive on the 30th, winners take cash prizes, and every entrant receives a participation certificate.
No hidden judging panel, no mystery scores. Every poet sees a five criteria breakdown in their profile covering creativity, emotion, structure, language, and theme. Your voice competes alongside poets from more than 50 countries.
Writory's monthly poetry contest accepts written slam and spoken word pieces, with cash prizes, certificates for every entrant, and transparent scoring.
Why enter
- Slam and spoken word styles are judged with full respect, raw energy is a strength here
- A new contest every month, so your piece finds an audience fast
- No theme restrictions, protest, confession, celebration, all of it belongs
- Performance rooted forms are welcome, including slam pieces, spoken word poems, and rhythmic monologues
- An international stage with poets from 50+ countries reading your words
What winners and entrants receive
- Cash prizes for the winning poets each month
- Winners receive free entry into next month's contest
- A participation certificate for every entrant
- Top 10 poems featured on the public leaderboard
Slam pieces, spoken word poems, rhythmic monologues, and any poem written to be heard are all welcome, submitted as text.
Key facts
- Entries open the 1st, close the 25th at 11:59 PM IST, results on the 30th.
- One poem $5, two poems $8, five poems $15 (Rs 150 / Rs 220 / Rs 450 in India).
- Every poem scored by human judges on five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language and theme.
- A participation certificate for every entrant, not only winners, and the score is visible in your profile.
- Cash prizes for winners, free entry the following month for winners, open worldwide from age 13, any language.
Questions
Can I enter slam poetry if the contest is written, not performed?
Yes. You submit your slam piece as written text, and it is judged on the power of the words themselves. Rhythm, repetition, and urgency carry onto the page, and pieces written for performance regularly score strongly.
How is a slam piece judged fairly without a live performance?
Every entry receives a five criteria score covering creativity, emotion, structure, language, and theme, visible in your profile. The emotion and language criteria reward exactly what makes slam work, so your piece is measured on its own strengths.
What is the entry fee?
The fee is small and shown in your local currency on the submit page before you confirm. Winners earn free entry the following month, and three consecutive months of participation earns a free entry too.
When do results come out?
Entries open on the 1st and close on the 25th of every month, with results announced on the 30th. Your detailed score breakdown appears in your profile alongside the results.
By the Writory editorial team. Updated July 2026.
Enter the September contest · All poetry competitions 2026: deadlines & prizes · International poetry contest · Past winners · Read the winning poems