Mind Over Slammer

A spoken word poetry slam at Copper Bar, Band on the Wall, in Manchester's Northern Quarter, with a competition that leads to a national final and a headline poet.

Poets take the stage in a competitive slam, performing their own work across three rounds. The two strongest, the winner and the first runner-up, qualify for the national grand final in London, where qualifiers from across the country compete for prize money. The national champion also earns a place at the 2028 UK & England Slam Championships, run by Farrago Poetry, and from there the route continues to the European and world poetry slam championships.

The headline slot belongs to Carson Wolfe, a Mancunian poet and Grand Prize Winner of The Disquiet Literary Programme in 2024, whose two chapbooks are Boy(ish) and Coin Laundry at Midnight. Biz Bond, a Manchester-based poet and producer, hosts the proceedings. Biz was among Craig Charles'Class of 2025 and has been a member of the Southbank New Poets collective.

The session suits seasoned poetry listeners as well as people who have never heard spoken word live. It is a live performance night, followed by a DJ set in the Copper Bar at Band on the Wall, a venue on Swan Street.