The Last Word

The Last Word 2023 | Epic Spoken Word Festival Returns

The performers taking to the stage at Camden’s Roundhouse this June are all as good as their word.

Which is unsurprising seeing as they’re all talented poets, writers and spoken word artists – and they’re getting together for a fortnight-long festival celebrating the art of the word. It’s been an annual tradition for a decade now, and the line-up for 2023 is looking extremely decent.

It kicks off in June with the Poetry Slam Final – a fixture of the festival since 2013, in which six young finalists who’ve battled through national heats (you can catch the London heats in late May) duke it out in one final night of quick-fire spoken word, each performing their own original compositions. It’s one of the fastest-paced, most exciting nights of the programme, and gives you a chance to discover the next generation of writing talent for only a fiver.

Apples and Snakes

Then, there’s all the special one-off events for this year, including:

• A gender-bending debut show from Elliot Walosheck, winner of the 2020 Roundhouse Slam;
• An all-day spoken word extravaganza with Apples and Snakes, featuring workshops, talks and a gig;
• An evening with rapper, poet and now published author Dizraeli, talking about the release of his first book;
• A softly-spoken but powerful performance from Ellen Renton, who gives an inspiring account on living with albinism;
• A live performance from rising star Emmeline, who’s making waves for her expressive folk-pop style of music;
• A night with VERSES, who have pulled together some of UK’s top spoken word performers (Woodzy, Caitlin O’Ryan and Repeat Beat Poet) to use their way with words to discuss various societal issues;
• A recording of Lyrix Organix’s live podcast series, with Jordan Stephens as special guest;
• A celebration of Black British poetry led by Kayo Chingonyi, editor of More Fiya; and
• Ezra England’s darkly comic play Nuclear Children performed live on stage.

Who, technically speaking, will have the last word.

NOTE: The Last Word 2023 runs from 1st – 18th June, but you can catch the London poetry slam heats from 22nd-25th May. You can read more about all the different events taking place, and book your tickets, HERE.

Roundhouse | Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8EH

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