Specials

The festival's supplementary programme is comprised of activities which take place in centres outside of the main reading venue. For 13 days literature will be introduced in the public sphere through special projects such as the international SLAM!-Revue, readings in prisons, in the park or in libraries and cafés.

The international SLAM!Revue has been organised and presented by Martin Jankowski (www.martin-jankowski.de) since 2002.

Participants in 2008

Claus Ankersen (DK)
Wojciech Cichon (PL)
Sergio Garau (I)
MC Jabber (GB)
Markus Köhle (A)
Henna Laininen (FIN)
Ludditák (HU)
Anna Nowok (RUS)
Ben Porter Lewis (USA/VN)
KaCoSónia alias Céline Robinet (F)
Lara Stoll (CH)
Mark Terrill (US)

Special guests: André Herrmann (D)
Co-presenter: Gauner (D)

Participants in 2007
Winner: Alexandr Delphinov (Russland)

Bohdan Blahovec describes himself as a coincidental victim of poetry slams. He has already won the Czech National Championship, it being the first competition he took part in. Since then he has been seen as a pioneer, largely thanks to his completely improvised performance at the Czech Masters in 2005.

Alexandr Delphinov born in Moscow in 1971, is one of the founders of the reggae band »Jah Division« as well as of the punk-reggae band »Podwig Gastelko«. He has published two books of poetry in Moscow. At the moment, he lives in Berlin. From 2005 to 2006 he was part of the project »Vysokaja Kul(!)tura« (high culture). In 2006 he took part in the Poetry Festival in Berlin.

Antoine Tô Faure and Damien Noury are actors from Paris. In 1998 they founded the »Compagnie de l'Uppercut« with Sandra Bechtel, and among other projects created the »Fahrt des Sinnes und des Klanges« (the journey of senses and sounds) adapted from their collective writings. Since then they have toured Europe. Antoine Tô Faure won the French poetry slam in 2004.

Salena Godden from London is a poet, radio announcer, performer and the singer of the ska-punk band »Saltpeter«. She has toured Australia, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and the United States where she also worked with homeless children. She founded a radio poetry show called »saltpeter radio« and worked for the BBC series »Bespoken Word«, which was nominated for the Sony Award in 2004.

Annina Haab is a 16-year old slam poet from the Au (Zurich canton), who has been causing a storm this past year throughout German-speaking Switzerland. In 2006 she participated in the German International Slam championship and now also tours for the legendary U20 Project.

Orsolya Karafiath was born in Budapest in 1976. She is an internationally successful, prize-winning poet and participated in her first slam in 2006 where she described herself as »not a real slam poet«, but presented an inspiring performance. She was the editor of »Crete School Magazine«, and writes for various magazines, including »Week of Book« and »Elle«. She is also singer of the electro band »Bugi Kommandó«.

Luciole lives in Paris and is 21. She discovered the world of slam and literature in 2003. In 2005 she won the individual competition and in 2006 the team competition of the French Slam Championship. Since then she has been touring Europe but still found time in 2006 to record two songs for the album »Original Slam«. She is currently working on her début album.

Mieze Medusa is well-known in the Austrian slam and hip-hop scene. She is part of the »backlab« team and co-organiser of the slam »textstrom« in Vienna. Alongside various hip-hop projects, she co-published the first book about the Austrian slam scene in 2006. Together with Tenderboy she released the »Antarktis« LP.

Andy Ninvalle grew up in Sengaali-Guyana and now lives in the Netherlands. He is said to be Holland’s »hardest breaker« and initially won acclaim for his dance acrobatics. He was later singer for the funk-metal band »BaggaBownz« and was celebrated for his virtuoso beatbox specials. At the Cologne Jazz Night 2005 he also made a name for himself as a solo performer.

Sookee was born in 1983. Originally from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, she now lives in Berlin, where she studies German linguistics and gender studies. She started to rap back in 2003 and in early 2006 released her début album »Kopf, Herz, Arsch« (Head, Heart, Ass).

Betti Synclar aka Bettina Gugger, was born in 1983 in Thun, and comes from the Bern literary scene. She has been performing as a slam poet in Switzerland and Germany for some years now and currently lives in Berlin. Her texts are embedded on stage in her impressive performances. Furthermore, she works with the Berlin musician Yapacc and releases on various techhouse labels.

Sara Ventroni was born in Rome in 1974. Critics call her one of the most autonomous Italian artists of recent years. Her writings can be found in anthologies across the world. She writes plays and participates in literature and jazz festivals. Ventroni’s writings are published in famous literature magazines and she has received several prizes.

François Vermeersch was born 1973 in Mons, Belgium. Today he teaches translation and interpreting there and works for the European Commission. He characterizes himself as a »lover of words«. In 2007 he took part in the Grand Slam National in Paris, together with the first Belgian slam team.

Ken Yamamoto lives in Mainz but was born in Paris. Shaped by cross-cultural surroundings all his life, being the son of a Japanese father and a German mother he grew up speaking French. In 2004 he started to perform at German slams and since then has been successful in Germany, Italy and Switzerland.

Participants in 2006
Winner: ShortMAN (London)

Henry Bowers, MC Candel, Meritxell Cucurella-Jorba, Micha-El Goehre, Weronika Lewandowska, Luciole, Andy Ninvalle, John Paul O'Neill, Volker Strübing, Xochil, Angelo Zabaglio

Participants of the international SLAM!REVUE in 2005
Winner: Etrit Hasler (Basel)

Katinka Budenkotte, Henning Chadde, Lydia Daher, Anita Egelund, Daniel Falb, Etrit Hasler, HEL, Thorkil Jacobsen, Tomas Mika, Nii Aykwei Parkes, Bohdan Pasecki, Etta Streicher, Wonder

Participants of the  international SLAM!REVUE in 2004
Winner: Emil Jennsen (Stockholm)

Gaby Bila-Günther, Maroula Blades, Fiva, Nora-Eugenie Gomringer, Ulrich Herlyn, Emil Jensen, Maciej Kaczka, Stan Lafleur, Tracy Splinter, Ricardo Peredo Wende

Participants of the  international SLAM!REVUE in 2003
Winner: Sebastian Krämer (Berlin)

Martin Auer, Viktoria Barkova, Heinrich Gartentor Jürg Halter, Jaromir Konecny, Sebastian Krämer, Björn Kuhligk, Hagar Peeters, Olumide Popoola, Monika Rinck, Mara Schneider

Participants of the international SLAM!REVUE in 2002
Winner: JC001 (London)

Martin Amanshauser, Timo Brunke, Paul Cash, Charlie Dark, Amy R. Evans, Ilja Falkowski, Wolfgang Hogekamp, JC 001, Pilot le Hot, The Lyrical Fusion, Midn-j-jizum, Angel Pastor, Hagar Peeters, Marc Smith, Mustafa Stittou