Haiku Death Match Slam July 19th

 

Poets bring your haikus to compete in our annual Haiku Death Match (National Style). 

Host will be Black Phoenix. Poets should have at least 30 haikus or more! 

Winner will receive $200. Register by Cashapp $10 to $witsendpoetry

Coffee Underground. 1 East Coffee Street Greenville, SC. 7:30pm. $10. 

Produced by Wits End Poetry, these poetry events are made possible in part by the generous support of the South Carolina Arts Commission and the Metropolitan Arts Council with funds received from the City of Greenville, BMW Manufacturing Company, Michelin North America, Inc., SEW Eurodrive  More information at www.witsendpoetry.com. 

Follow our social media @witsendpoetry across all platforms.

#yeahthatgreenville #gvlarts #greenvillesc #poetryslam #poetry

Haiku Slam Rules

REGISTERED POETS: Order will be randomly drawn on the night of slam.

Prize Money: $200

You'll need to have at least 30 Haikus. "The more the better." In case you to go all the way

-There will be a “Red” poet and “Not Red” poet

-There will be a bout draw to see who goes first, second, etc.

- Each poet name will be placed in a section of a bracket, the lower number in each section will be red

-“Red” Poet will read first in every bout. “Not Red” reads first in that round if they win.

-Poets will come to the stage in pairs, bow to each other to show respect to the poet and honor the competition, and face off one haiku at a time

-First round, each Haikuster will read the best of 3 Haiku, 2^nd round- best of five, 3^rd round- best of seven, and 4^th round-best of eleven. This number can be adjusted based on the number of participants

-For example, if there are not enough haiku warriors signed up to make a full show it may go to double-elimination (you need to lose two rounds to be eliminated).

-We encourage pre-sign ups for slams. If not a sold out show, you may sign up at the venue

-Last haiku warrior standing wins the trophy and cash prize

$10 General Admission. Buying an audience ticket does not register you for the slam. 

REGISTRATION IS OPEN. 8 slots for sign up

REGISTERED POETS:

1. 

Poet registration via PayPal $10 below or via Cashapp $witsendpoetry

Poet Name

 

King of the South

 All Male Poetry Slam !!!

August 23rd King of the South Slam. $500 in prize money! This is an Invitational Poetry Slam only featuring the top male poets in the South East. You don't want to miss this exciting high-energy poetry slam that will spotlight emerging and veteran poetic artists who identify as a male from across four states. This historical, original all-male poetry slam is held in Greenville South Carolina!

Poet Registration $15. Cashapp $witsendpoetry

$500 in Prizes

Coffee Underground. 1 E. Coffee St., Greenville, SC 29601. 7:30pm. $15.

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.

Audience tickets are available via Eventbrite. Early bird tickets $10 till 8/21 11:30pm Midnight (first 50 tickets). General Admission $15. CASHAPP (no fees) Tickets KOS Name to $witsendpoetry or eventbrite. https://kos26.eventbrite.com

Contact Kimberly Simms Gibbs to sign up

Paypal: Poet Name

 

Registered Poets List. REGISTRATION IS OPEN.

1. Azar King, Greenville

2. Black Phoenix, Greenville

3. Poetré, Columbia

4. Justin Blackburn, Asheville

5. Nikky Mullowney, Raleigh

6.

7.

8.

9.

Volunteers have been assigned.

Sign-up to be a volunteer at the poetry slam!  

http://witsendpoetry.blogspot.com/p/volunteer.html

SLAM RULES

1. Prize Money: First Prize $350
                           Second Prize $100
                           Third Prize $50
In the event of a tie, judges will vote on the winner OR the two champions can opt to each receive $225. And the 2nd place will receive $50. (With no 3rd place).

2. Bout draw is at 7:15pm 10 Poets. No Waiting List. No refunds. 
3. This is a three-round poetry slam. 10-6-3 Cut.

4. King of the South Rules. Poets can self-indentify as "male" 

• The first two rounds of the competition are cumulative with the first round featuring 10 poets then cutting down to 6. The final round will feature only the top 3 poets and will be a clean slate. Standard tournament slam rules apply. Prop, plagiarism or costume violations will result in [-2 ] points from the score for that round. There will not be a tiebreaker round,  judges will vote for the winner. If there is a tie during preliminary rounds, up to one additional poet may advance in some cases. Poets should bring at least 3 poems. Poems do not need to be memorized but memorization will help your score. Learn more about slam at http://www.witsendpoetry.com/whatisslam.html. 

5. The Time Limit. 3:00 minute time limit. At 3:10:01 a time penalty will be assessed.  A poet is certainly allowed several full seconds to adjust the microphone and get settled, but as soon as s/he makes a connection with the audience (“Hey look, she’s been standing there for 10 seconds and hasn’t even moved”), the timekeeper can start the clock. After 3:00 minutes, there is a 10-second grace period (for example: (in the 3 minute rotation) up to and including 3:10:00). Starting at one hundredth of a second over the grace period, a penalty is automatically deducted  of .5 from the poet’s overall score, and an additional .5 is deducted for each additional 10 seconds. THE MC/BM MAY STOP THE POET AT 4:00 MINUTES.

6. Influencing the Crowd Before the Bout Begins. Poets are allowed to talk casually with anyone in the crowd before the bout begins (except the judges, if they have already been chosen). They are not, however, allowed to give anything to the audience or have anyone do this for them. See full PSI
 tournament rules for more information.
7. Kimberly Simms will adjudicate any protests. 

Slam Rules

1) Poems can be on any subject and in any style.

2) Each poet must perform an original work that they have created.

3) No props. Generally, poets are allowed to use their given

environment and the accouterments it offers microphones, mic stands,

the stage itself, chairs on stage, a table or bar top, the aisle as long as

these accouterments are available to other competitors as well. The rule

concerning props is not intended to squelch the spontaneity,

unpredictability, or on-the-fly choreography that people love about the

slam; its intent is to keep the focus on the words rather than objects.

Refer to Section V (Definitions) for further clarification on what is and is

not a prop. Poets who inadvertently use a prop (for example, a timely yet

unwitting grab at a necklace) can be immediately penalized two points if

the MC of the bout deems the effect of the violation to have been

appreciable, but sufficiently lacking in specific intent. A formal protest

need not be lodged before the MC can penalize a poet in this way,

however, the decision of the MC can be appealed after the bout.

Individuals whose use of props in a poem appears to be more calculated

and the result of a specific intent to enhance, illustrate, underscore, or

otherwise augment the words of the poem will be given a retroactive

score for the poem equal to two points less than the lowest scoring

poem in that bout. This deduction, which can only be applied after a

formal protest has been lodged against the offending poet, will not be

made by the MC, but by the Protest Committee.

4) No musical instruments or pre-recorded music, a poem which

violates this rule will be assessed a score of zero.

5) No costumes. (Do not put on or take off clothing during bout)The Protest Committee may apply a two-point deduction for violation of the costume rule.

INVITATIONAL NOTES:

The King of the South Slam is a showcase of the top emerging and veteran male (identifying) voices in the Southeast. Poets may be nominated by a slammaster, Kimberly Simms or have participated in a previous Wits End Event to qualify if they are over 21 and in good standing with WEP.

Questions email witsendpoetrysc@gmail.com.

First Prize $350
Second Prize $100
Third Prize $50

In the event of a tie, before judges vote, the two champions can opt to each receive $225.
And the 2nd place will receive $50. (With no 3rd place).

GVL POETRY TRAIL

Celebrating artists and their stories in the upstate & beyond. @witsendpoetry ● www.witsendpoetry.com ● witsendpoetry.eventbrite.com

GVL Poetry Trail Inaugural Poets

Congratulations to the following poets whose poems will appear in the inaugural installation of the GVL Poetry Trail Summer 2026!

• Chelsea Fraser
• Claire Bateman
• jenny stohlman
• Joel McCollough
• Kimberly J Simms
• Lune
• Michelle Grover
• MyKNichelle
• Renee Kalagayan
• Shay Black
• Starry
• Terri McCord
• Tinasha LaRayé

SAVE THE DATE!
May 9th 10:00 am Fred Collins Stage on Boho Lawn @ Artisphere. Wits End Poetry presents GVL Poetry Trail Winners. Free Event.

• Fred Collins Stage (formerly the Camperdown Stage) under the tent on the lawn of the Grand Bohemian Lodge.

• Address: 44 E. Camperdown Way, Greenville, SC.

Directions & Parking:

• From South Greenville: Augusta St to Jones Ave to Cleveland St to Camperdown Way.

• From North Greenville: Washington St to McBee Ave to Falls St.

• Best Parking: Broad Street Garage (135 E Broad St, Greenville, SC 29601). It is approximately an 8-minute walk to the stage.

Thank you to the almost 70 poets who submitted their work to the GVL Poetry Trail, a new interactive cultural experience bringing the power of the written and spoken word to Greenville’s public spaces, businesses, and parks. 

All winners were notified on April 24th via messenger and email.  Thanks to our sponsors MAC, SCAC, and GVL City ATax. Additonal poets may be featured as we move forward this summer.

June 14th. 7:30 pm Coffee Underground. GVL Poetry Trail Launch Celebration with featured reading and open mic. Join us every Sunday at Coffee Underground at 7:30 for the longest-running poetry showcase and open mic in SC, approaching 25 years of exciting poetry programming since 2002. TICKETS CLICK HERE

SUBMIT YOUR POEM TO THE GVL POETRY TRAIL CONTEST!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED TO SUBMISSIONS. 
Thank you Greenville area poets - we received almost 90 submissions from 70 poets for the National Poetry Month Contest! 

Missed the deadline? Submit to the rolling GVL Poetry Trail poem submission form.
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT

GVL POETRY TRAIL SUBMISSION RULES 

Each poet may submit a single entry per category consisting of up to three poems. While poets of all ages are welcome to participate, every poem must be an original composition created without the assistance of AI. Individual poems are limited to a maximum of 28 lines, and each line must contain fewer than 16 syllables. Poems may or may not be previously published. There is no cost to enter this competition. Poets must live in Greenville County or have a personal connection to Greenville County.

LIVE READINGS: Adult poets should confirm their availability to perform their winning work in person or virtually.
Phase 1 Contest Readings will be held on May 9th 10:00 at the Fred Collins Stage (Grand Boho Lawn) at Artisphere and May 10th at 7:30 at Coffee Underground in the Theater (free entry for winners). A virtual reading option may be held on April 29th.

PRIZES DURING CONTEST: Adult winners will receive a $50 prize paid via CashApp or check on the day of the event, while student winners will receive a $25 prize via Visa gift card or CashApp. A minimum of six winners will be awarded across all categories. 

TEACHERS: Teachers can also use the above form to submit up to three poems per class. There will be additional contests in the future. The initial GVL Poetry Trail stops will be completed in summer of 2026.

THEMATIC CATEGORIES: These themes are meant to be broad but should connect to our area (aka don't write a poem inspired by the Rocky Mountains, instead write a poem inspired by the mountains of South Carolina).

• Nature 
• Sports (including Baseball, Cycling, Fishing, tributes to GVL athletes like Shoeless Joe Jackson etc.)
• Beverages (including coffee, tea, coctails etc.)
• Southern Food
• History (including industries, tributes to historic figures like Jesse Jackson etc)
• Culture (art, public art, music, tributes to culturally important people, etc)

NOTES: Please note that more stops will continue to be added on a rolling basis. We want the poetry to drive some of the locations but we do know that the first stops will be along Main Street downtown GVL and around Heritage Green and may include coffee shops, southern restaurants, art gallery/museums, bookstores, libraries, a baseball related-museum, libraries, Swamp Rabbit trail, and downtown GVL public art and landmarks. If you are not selected for the first group of stops, please know that you may be selected at a later date. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate something that you love about GVL. IF YOU SUBMIT AFTER THE APRIL 15TH DEADLINE, YOU WILL LIKELY NOT HEAR BACK FROM US UNTIL AUGUST.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Kimberly Simms Gibbs

EMAIL: witsendpoetrysc@gmail.com

@WITSENDPOETRY

Wits End Poetry is proud to announce the launch of the GVL Poetry Trail, a new interactive cultural experience bringing the power of the written and spoken word to Greenville’s public spaces, businesses, and parks starting summer 2026. In anticipation of the organization’s 25th anniversary in 2027, the project invites Greenville County poets to submit original work by April 15th for a chance to be featured in this city-wide installation.

"The GVL Poetry Trail is about celebrating both emerging and veteran artists," says Kimberly Simms Gibbs, Founder and Director of Wits End Poetry. "By placing poetry in our trails, museums, and storefronts, we are making high-quality literary art accessible to everyone—residents and visitors alike."

More information on submissions can be found on the Wits End Poetry Blog witsendpoetry.blogspot.com. Poets will receive a $50 prize, publication of their winning poem, public display as part of a rotating stop on the GVL Poetry Trail, and be invited to read their poems at a celebratory GVL Poetry Trail Launch Reading during Artisphere weekend. Please direct questions to Kimberly at witsendpoetrysc@gmail.com.

Founded in 2002, Wits End Poetry has spent over two decades fostering community engagement through the literary arts. The GVL Poetry Trail is the latest initiative to enrich the Upstate’s cultural landscape, offering a unique way for the public to engage with South Carolina’s vibrant "sense of place."

This project is funded in part by the Metropolitan Arts Council, The City of Greenville A-Tax, and the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Submissions are accepted via Google Form. Full details and guidelines are available on the Wits End Poetry Blog at witsendpoetry.blogspot.com.

For more information on the GVL Poetry Trail or to follow the project’s growth, visit or follow @witsendpoetry on social media.

This project is part of Wits End Poetry’s 25th year anniversary celebration upcoming in 2027. The main goal of Wits End Poetry is to provide high quality poetry programming to local and visiting audiences in Greenville County. The secondary goal is to celebrate both emerging and veteran artists and their stories.

The curator and director of the project is Kimberly Simms Gibbs who founded Wits End Poetry in 2002. Kimberly is an acclaimed Greenville poet, literary organizer, and educator who has made significant contributions to the literary arts in South Carolina, organizing major literary festivals and fostering community engagement for over thirty years.

The GVL Poetry Trail will offer a unique cultural experience that attracts both residents and visitors and will enrich Greenville's cultural landscape, offering an interactive way for visitors to engage with the city's artistic heritage and landscapes. Each year more stops will be added to the GVL Poetry trail.

Not Quite New Year's Poetry Slam 2025

 REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

GREENVILLE, SC: Sunday 12/28/2025, Say What?! Not Quite New Year's Poetry Slam at Coffee Underground! Don't miss the opportunity to witness 10 slam poets in this End of the Year Poetry Slam. Host Moody Black. First place prize is $100.

Coffee Underground, 1 E. Coffee St., Greenville, SC 29601. 7:30pm. $10.

Local Poets in Greenville County register below using PayPal or Cash app $10 to $witsendpoetry.
Audience tickets are available via Eventbrite. Coffee Underground Theater.

Poet Name

 

HOST: Black Phoenix; Bout Manager:  

Wits End Poetry's mission is to mentor and grow Carolina poetry talent in order to help poets make a living as poets.  The poetry slam events do have a short open mic available for those with "audience tickets" which happens from 7:30 to 8:00pm.