POETRYGASM

It started for me along with everybody else after the US Embassy and the Quixote's Cove hosted three American slam poets Matt Mason, Danny Solis and Karen Finneyfrock for the first ever QC Awards in December, 2010.

It resulted in the formation of a Kathmandu based informal group of poets and poetry lovers called Words Warriors. The main attempt was to provide continuity to various workshops and poetry competitions in and around the capital, promote slam poetry and preserve the growing culture of poetry in the country. 

And after five long years of bichdan, it has come back into my life again. Spoken Word Poetry.

Beginning with the Poetry Workshop a month ago and ending with the third QC Awards yesterday, this past month has been one of the most memorable and fun filled experiences for me.

The Spoken Word 101 workshop was held in two groups for two days each (17-18th Jan and 24-25 Jan) in which around 120 people had participated. Each group was hence further divided into four groups each assigned two mentors. 

The first day began with a brief introductory session and a short performance with everybody together, after which we broke off to our respective groups. The day proceeded with various fun games and exercises like Name Game, Human Atom, Step into the Circle, Rhythm Circle, Things I know to be True and some discussions and introduction to the effective use of Sensory Details and Metaphors and Similes in a poem. At the end of the day, each of us were assigned homework to reflect back on the lessons for the day and try to apply it all and create a poem, which was not really compulsory but most of us did it anyway because we're good and enthusiastic children. Yaaay. J

The second day of the workshop comprised of more confidence building exercises Beastie Boys, Inanimate Object and Performance Circle. We were then familiarized with the difference between written poetry and spoken word poetry. There were talks about the importance of performance and theatrical elements. Via a Bad Performance example, the participants were themselves allowed to discuss and point out the shortcomings of a bad performance and the essentials of a good one, the importance of correct posture, voice manipulation, eye contact and much more. 

Few snaps of the Spoken Word 101 workshop, Photo Credit: Official facebook page of Spoken Word Nepal

After a performance by everyone interested, we then regrouped for a feedback session, followed by briefing about and registration for QC Awards and Write to Speak Intensive Workshops,thus concluding the workshop.

The auditions for the QC Awards 2015: The Youth Poetry Slam were held in three different venues on Feb 1 where 22 finalists were selected to compete in the final event held at Mandala Theatre, Anamnagar, on Saturday. Five winners were then selected after two more rounds of intense poetry battles.

Photo Courtesy: eKantipur Nepal

Remembering back from the first poetry slam with me as an uninformed, insecure, not very confident school girl to the properly informed, not insecure and perhaps a teensy bit more confident girl I was yesterday, I can say happily and proudly that the Spoken Word Poetry culture has come a long and better way in Nepal. More and more international poets and literary figures are now coming in and collaborating with the poets here to broaden the reach of slam poetry. The recent show up and interest shown in famous slam poet Sarah Kay's event proves just how far along Spoken Word has come.

There were only a mere five or so members when Words Warriors group was first formed in Facebook, and now with more than 17,000 members, poets all over the country are uniting towards a common passion of poetry each one of them shares, posting on Facebook, organizing regular meetings with Words Warriors live and promoting with various workshops and performances in cultural and literary events and schools and colleges in various places around the country.

It has been successfully providing space to people of all age groups, especially the youth, to voice out their opinions in a way that is true and unique to each individual. It has created a room for budding and enthusiastic poets like us to present themselves with a certain flexibility and freedom, express our personal experiences and concerns ranging between anything from a bad dinner date to fist love to family problems and other wide topics like feminism, politics, youth empowerment and much more.

I, for one, am extremely happy and thankful to have made such wonderful friends and seniors in the process and would encourage everyone interested in performance arts and poetry to come attend all the events and be a part of a warm and loving Words Warriors family.

PS for all those single people who have nothing to do this Valentines Day, there is the next Words Warriors live being held this Saturday in Base Camp, Jhamsikhel from 4.30 pm onward themed "Love in the time of Loadshedding", and for all those couples and takens, come with your other half anyway, you'll have fun. For more information, stay updated through

Telephone : 01-5536974
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/user/WordWarriorsNepal
Facebook Page : www.facebook.com/spokenwordnepal
Website : www.wordwarriorsnepal.com
Facebook Group : https://www.facebook.com/groups/wordwarriorsnepal/