The National Poetry Slam celebrates its 14th year in 2026 as the leading stage for Spoken Word in the Caribbean. With a total prize pool of TT$58,500 and TT$25,000 awarded to the champion, it proudly offers the largest cash reward for Spoken Word artists in the English-speaking Caribbean.
2026 marks the 14th edition of the National Poetry Slam which is renowned as the largest stage for Spoken Word in the Caribbean, with a TT$25,000 first place prize, the biggest cash prize for Spoken Word artists in the world.
In 2025, the Slam held in-person auditions in Trinidad and in Tobago through a partnership with the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS). The Grand Slam was held at The National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA). The semi-finals and Grand Slam were broadcast via the Slam’s media partner, TTT.
The championship was a televised event with live judging broadcast and streamed to the public for free in 2020 and 2021. Closed auditions were held via Zoom, where twenty poets were chosen for the semi-final rounds airing in August of both years.
In 2022, all stages of the championship were accessible for public viewing, for free, and was hosted by popular personalities each year. 2023 marked the return of the annual Spoken Word championship to its traditional in-person, pre-covid schedule, with the reintroduction of the popular Wild Card feature of the Slam.
In 2026, the Slam’s organising committee continues its partnership with the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS) to host Slam auditions at National Library locations across Trinidad and Tobago.
The Grand Slam (National Poetry Slam Final), was held in the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) on May 4, before a sold-out audience. It remains the greatly-anticipated, high-energy closing event of the Bocas Lit Fest’s annual literary festival.
Over fourteen years, the First Citizens National Poetry Slam has seen:
1,486 poets auditioned (2013-2026)
456 semi-finalists (2013-2026)
185 finalists (2013-2026)
45 winners (1st – 3rd places) to date
TT $799,000 distributed in prize money to date
91 Slam events to date
