REQ (Belgium)

REQ pour Remise En Question. Ce jeune artiste est issu de la scène slam liégeoise connue pour ses verbes contestataires. Concerts hip-hop ou performances artistiques, REQ est à la recherche des limites de son art, imbibé de questionnements et d’émotions

Constantinos Papageorgiou (Cyprus)

Constantinos Papageorgiou is a Cypriot and he has published two poetry collections in Greece. He has been nominated as Best Newcomer Poet by the Hellenic Authors’ Society in 2013 and he has been awarded with 1st Poetry Prize for a Young Poet by the Cyprus Writers’ Union in 2008. He has performed poems in Cyprus, Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria.

Filip Koryta aka Dr Filipitch (Czech Republic)

A poet (two collections published), fiction and lyrics writer, the lead singer of the bands diCaprio and Glajstr Duo, a slammer (Czech national master 2017, national double master in Czech Duo Slam, published one collection of slam texts), teacher (majored in Czech language and literature and psychology), festival production manager, host. He loves watermelons and is hopeless in all sports except for table tennis and floorball. He lives either in Pilsen, or on the train to a poetry slam.

Anatol Svahilec (Czech Republic)

Theatre deserter and traitor who found meaning of his current life on the slam stage. Born in Mladá Boleslav, raised in Pilsen, currently living in Prague. Numerous times in Budapest, now most excited performing here for the first time. Winner of Czech National Slam Championship in 2014, so no one really cares now. Most of his time spending wandering around the Czech Republic performing and showing how slam genre could look like. Or could’t. Probably could’t.

Stilda Roguljic (Croatia)

My name is Stilda from Croatia.

I just started discovering slam poetry and I hope it will always be just a little bit undiscovered, unbalanced and loud. That’s what makes it slam.That’s what makes us human.

Zurg & Yopo (France)

poets, co-founders of the French national association, the Ligue Slam de France, and organizers of the national championship

Jonna Nummela (Finland)

Nihkee Akka (Finnish for “grumpy bitch”) is the award-winning feminist poetry alter-ego of Jonna Nummela. Nihkee Akka is the ruling Poetry Slam Champion of Finland, performing in Finnish and English, actively gigging both in Finland and abroad. With a background in stand-up comedy and clowning, Nihkee Akka is a spoken word hybrid pushing the boundaries of poetry through humour and personal politics. Jonna Nummela is also the vice-chair of  Helsinki Poetry Connection.

Jon Magnus Arnarsson (Iceland)

Jon Magnus is a poet from Reykjavik.

For the first time Iceland sends a champion to a slam competition.

He has all to gain, nothing to lose.

This should be interesting…

Jon Magnus is a poet, rapper, playwright from Reykjavik, Iceland.

He’s been weaving words since a young age and is the first representative of slam poetry that Iceland sends to a competition.

Elena Prenjova (Macedonia)

Elena Prendjova (b. 1985) holds an M.A. in Philology Science and a B.A. in English Language and Literature. She has published seven poetry collections and a book of essays on poetry. She has edited and co-edited two poetry anthologies, too. She performs slam poetry and organises slam competitions. Also, she teaches creative writing courses. She translates poetry from English to Macedonian and vice versa. Currently, she works as a lecturer in Contemporary English Language at a private university in her hometown.

Sofie Frost (Norway)

Sofie Frost is a Norwegian actress and slampoet. She writes about her own traumas in life, such as abuse, mental health and shame. The aim with her poetry is always to start a conversation and to make others feel less alone. In 2014 Sofie graduated from East 15 Acting School with a Master of Arts. Now she lives in Oslo as a freelance actress and spoken word poet.

Luca Bernardini (Italy)

Luca Bernardini is 28 years old and comes from Florence, Italy, he is a psychologist and a drama and improv teacher too, and he feels lucky because of that and many other things that make him happy. He performs in written and improvised plays of his own, often with really nice people he asks to join him in some new theatrical experiment. He accidentally discovered the Poetry Slam world this April, he met wonderful people there and had a great time, also he ended up being really lucky, so soon he will be flying  to Budapest, now can he believe that? Not yet.

Paride Rama (Italy)

Paride Rama is 32 years old. He works as a computer programmer, but considers himself a multi-faceted one. He is interested in various subjects such as science, art, psychology, sport, astronomy and spirituality. He participates in the poetry slam since September 2017, but has already taken part in dozens of such contests. He met many wonderful people, traveling around Italy thanks to poetry. Can not wait to meet others in Budapest!

Adriana Bertran Ania (Spain)

Adriana Bertran Anía (Barcelona, 1985) has used writing to try to come to terms with reality since she was a young child. As she never quite manages to, she hopes to continue to write forever! She holds a double degree in English & Spanish Literature, and has also written children’s songs in English and an awarded theatre play in Catalan. She has just published her first book of poems, Viaje de Vuelta (the Journey Back).

Mattias Hammarstrom (Sweden)

Born in Uppsala, Sweden, Mattias Hammarström has an insatiable hunger for wordplay. This comes at the expense of sleep, regular eating habits, normal social behaviour and should (according to most doctors) be properly medicated. Mattias, however, does not agree. I mean: why study for your mid-terms or wash the looming laundry tower in the corner of your room, when you can spend sixty-three hours straight trying to figure out how to turn The Bible into a syllabically rhymed metaphor for cheese?

Nenad Ignjatovic (Serbia)

Nenad Ignjatović was born in Šabac, Serbia on May 14th, 1993. He got master’s degree in Comparative Literature at the University of Novi Sad. He is writing poetry, prose, drama texts and literary criticism. He is an independent artist and an amateur actor who has participated in a number of theater plays and acted in independent movies. He has also written and directed a play. He has worked as an editor of school papers.

His first slam performances were in 2016 on slam events organized by Poetarium in Novi Sad, Serbia and Poezin in Belgrade, Serbia. His performance includes improvisation without reading, with or without a musical background. His slam performance contains elements of drama, and the poet himself is a protagonist of a portrayal. His poems are mostly focused on people from social margins. He is a champion of a Poetry Festival Piñero, organized in 2018 by Poezin in Belgrade, Serbia.

Goran Zivkovic (Serbia)

By profession: a receptionist, travel guide and economist. In free time: a barman, night guard and a radio presenter. He’s been occupying himself with photography for a long time as a member of the FON photo club from Nis. His poetry has been published in numerous literary journals throughout Serbia. He’s been writing, travelling and performing since 2007. His poetry supports the concept of performance without reading from a paper, accompanied by musical instruments, a projector and a movie screen that serves as a backdrop and the visual support. He participated in numerous poetry meetings , literary colonies and slam festivals throughout Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia, Estonia, Cyprus… Together with Miljan Milanovic as a co-author, in 2010, he edited a poetry collection “Tortu kroz prozor’’(‘’Cake Through the Window’’) ,” a traveling circus for spreading poetry. In 2012, a library, “Tragači” (The Searchers)  and Cultural Centre of Niš published his book “SPALIPAČITAJ”(‘’Burn-then-Read’’) which won Branko’s Award, for the best first collection of poetry in Serbia. In 2014, at the International Festival „VOJISLAV DESPOTOV“, he won the first prize in the category – poets aged up to 30 years. The same year, he also won the third place for poetry, at the International literary competition „ULAZNICA“.  In addition to this, he won the Audience Award -for the best slam poet in Serbia- in 2011, 2013 and 2015. at the International Novi Sad Literature Festival. His second poetry book ‘’PSIHOSLAJDOVI’’ (‘’The Psychoslides’’) was awarded and published by “Treći trg” Beograd, within Belgrade book&poetry festival   “Trgni se! Poezija!” 2017.

Currently lives in Niš, Serbia, is married, and has a son.

Samuel Szabo (Slovakia)

Samčo, brat dážďoviek

is a Slovak musician, artist,slamer and multifunctional performer with hyperactive mind.

The work of Samčo recontextualises childhood, religion, poetry, singer- songwriting, or electronic music and channels his inner child. His art is full of samples and field recordings, reflects pop- culture and nationalism in its own DIY way and creates its own bizarre reality. His musical work was also appreciated by the Radio_FM’s Radio_head Award in the experimental music category for his album Áttörő erő (2015).

Samčo draws inspiration from the weird aspects of the everyday life around him, decayed urban surroundings, straightforwardness of nature; he observes and examines the society and its reactions. His performance is a direct and genuine expression.

Samčo is a typical hyperactive artist and he frequently takes part in various collaborative projects, including two video operas by the contemporary Slovak composer Miro Tóth and an experimental theatre performance in HaDivadlo in Brno “Laserová romance” (Laser romance). He’s also a member of the Slovak alternative band Pentagramček (Little Pentagram) that mocks the low quality of “educational” gospel music and plays “satanic songs for children”. His most recent project is called “Umelá neinteligencia” (Artificial non-intelligence) which is a computer generated, automated, localized debater on the internet

He slams occacionally on small stages around Czech republic and Slovakia, and some big events like Uprising festival or the National Slam poetry championship.

He is the second winner of Slovakian championship, and first winner which wins with half improvised slams.

Tomáš Straka (Slovakia)

Is a Slovak poet, novelist, slamer and organizer from Košice . He published two poetry books  Paper back and Hrdina robotníckej triedy ( working class hero). And a short novel Len sa nepozri do očí ( Don’t look into the eyes). He is also one of the main organizers of Slovak slam poetry scene. He participates as a performer and writer on poetic plays in Divadlo na půdě ( Theater on the loft) theater in Prague.

Neza Prah Senicar (Slovenia)

Neža Prah Seničar comes from Slovenia. She mainly stares and wonder, but as this does not pay the bills, she spends 8 hours per day or more in the building that belongs to the Slovenian public TV broadcaster where she produces TV shows for children and youth. She visited poetry slam for the first time 2 years ago when she has moved from capital Ljubljana to Celje.

Dmytro Lazutkin (Ukraine)

A poet, journalist and a sports commentator, born in 1978 in Kyiv. A metallurgical engineer by profession, he has published seven poetry collections in Ukrainian and one in Russian. He was awarded several literary awards, at home and abroad.  Also, he is a national champion in Cossack martial arts, has a black belt in kempo karate and has won the bronze medal in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship. As a TV commentator, he hosted several sport programs and the Olympic games in Peking, Vancouver and London. He still presents box matches on the “Inter” station. His poem Requiem has been musically adapted by Ally Zahajkevyč to become a part of the oratory “God with Us” of the director Serhija Proskurni. This oratory has been dedicated to the soldiers who were fighting in Eastern Ukraine and it was performed on the Sofijiv Square during the celebrations of the 23rd anniversary of Ukraine´s independence.

Pavlo Korobchuk (Ukraine) – writer, musician, journalist.

I was born in 1984 in Lutsk. Winner of 20 poetry slams (most wins among Ukrainians). Author of 6 poetry books, 2 novels and 1 book of short stories. Also there are 3 books of my poetry translated into Polish and Slovak. My works were translated into English, German, Italian, Slovak, Polish, Lithuanian, Belarusian and Russian languages.

Also I were as a participant on Literaturwerkstatt Berlin (https://www.lyrikline.org/ru/stihotvoreniya/landshaft-014395-5826) and MAC (http://www.autorskecteni.cz/en) and many other festivals in Russia, Poland, Bielorussia, Czech Republic etc. Also I hold lectures about future of poetry.

https://www.facebook.com/korobchuk