Callout to write for Melbourne Spoken Word

Melbourne Spoken Word is seeking writing engaging with the spoken word scene in various forms, including reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, little blog post essay type things, as in not poetry itself, but writing about spoken word.

How do you review spoken word? Well we’re exploring that in a piece to be published Wednesday. It varies though. We’re particularly looking for people to go to a few instances of a couple of regular gigs and to review and explore that gig in particular. There’s also a range of books that are worth reviewing. We’re trying to focus on newer gigs and publications but if people are keen to review something else, get in contact and we can chat about it.

All pieces for the website should be a minimum of 500 words and avoiding anything over 1,000 words.

We would like to discourage correspondence about reviews with the people you are reviewing. I know people are keen to have their work reviewed and we’ll endeavour to find people to review it but it lifts the professionalism of the work a bit if we can avoid people arranging reviews of their own work. This is based on how other publications approach this. If you’d like your book reviewed, send it to us and we’ll send it to the reviewer.

Pitches and submissions should be done through the Submittable system on the website found in the contact page or by emailing [email protected]

You don’t need to have written reviews or non-fiction type stuff before. The only thing we ask for is for people who are engaged with the spoken word scene, go to gigs and are able to return pieces in a timely manner.

At the moment, we are unable to pay contributors to the website but we are hoping that with the process of incorporation and applying for grants, that this will be something we can do in the future.

Gigs to review:
Girls on Key (over for this year but if you’ve been to at least a couple of them this year)
Slam of the Century
Voices in the Attic
The new iteration of Slamalamadingdong
To the Ends of the ‘Verse
Speak Up
Sporting Poets

Books to review:
Hey Moon, Lady Longdrop
Ramblings, Krish Prasad

About
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Annie Solah

Annie Solah is a writer, poet, spoken word artist, activist and the Director of Melbourne Spoken Word. She grew up in Western Sydney before calling Melbourne home in 2008, where she's performed since 2010 around Melbourne's regular spoken word and poetry nights including Passionate Tongues, The Dan Poets, Voices in the Attic and House of Bricks as well as the NGV and White Night. She's released a chapbook, broken bodies, and two spoken word albums, Duel Power with Santo Cazzati and The World Doesn't Make Sense EP.