The 32nd Annual Southern Fried Poetry Slam will be heading to Pompano Beach from June 12-15, 2024. The four-day festival event, hosted by Pompano Beach Arts, will feature over 200 poets from across the country competing for recognition and the title of champion.
The festival will be held at various locations within Pompano Beach’s cultural hub, including the Ali Cultural Center, Bailey Contemporary Arts Center, the Pompano Beach Cultural Center, and the beach. Tickets for the event are priced at $25 for a festival pass, which includes access to the preliminary bouts and the final stage. Workshop passes, which cover four programs, are available for $15.
“We are honored that our City was selected for this prestigious competition,” said Ty Tabing, Director of the Cultural Affairs Department, in a press release. “Through our current programs, such as Lyrics Lab and the Exit 36 Slam Poetry Festival, we have developed a reputation as an incubator for spoken word artists. Hosting the Southern Fried Poetry Slam enhances our commitment to supporting this dynamic form of expression.”
Since 1993, the Southern Fried Poetry Slam has been one of the largest spoken word and performance poetry tournaments in the world, hosted annually in a southeastern U.S. city. Competitors come from southern states and beyond, including places as far as California and Hawaii.
“We are very excited to be visiting Pompano Beach this summer, and we look forward to having our competitors experience the beauty and culture of your city,” said Sarita Goods, President of the Board of Directors for Southern Fried Poetry Inc., in a press release. “In addition to the slams, our event offers workshops and other activities for the poets to enjoy while experiencing the host city.”
Sharonda “Eccentrich” Richardson, Vice President of the Board of Directors for Southern Fried Poetry Inc. and a Pompano Beach local, has been instrumental in bringing the event to the city.
“I have been working to make this happen for a long time, and now it’s become a reality,” said Richardson. “This event is a tremendous opportunity to immerse yourself in a spectrum of spoken word styles and perspectives.”
Richardson is also the founder of “Free on the Inside,” a poetry series that facilitates workshops in prisons, and the creator of the Exit 36 Slam Poetry Festival in Pompano Beach.
For more information on the Southern Fried Poetry Slam, visit Pompano Beach Arts.
This is a Hy-Lo News Staff Report.
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