Express & Star

Poetry battle launching Wolverhampton Literature Festival

Poets battling it out for the top spot will wax lyrical as they mark the start of Wolverhampton-wide literary celebrations today.

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MC Emma Purshouse will host the Poetry Slam with Steve Pottinger and Dave Pitt

Arena Theatre will welcome crowds into the Wulfruna Street venue for the third Poetry Slam.

It is the first of more than 100 events set to take place during this year's Wolverhampton Literature Festival.

Poet Emma Purshouse said: Some of the people may have never read much in front of an audience. It's quite fast and can be daunting for some people.

"It's different because there's a cross-over with stand-up comedy. It's about making people realise poetry can be for them.

"There's not just one kind of poetry, it has many forms."

Miss Purshouse will be joined by fellow MCs Steve Pottinger and Dave Pitt - better known as 'Poets, Prattlers, and Pandemonialists ' - for the live poetry contest today.

A total of 15 poets will battle it out for the top spot from 7.30pm and walk away with the chance to have a paid gig at next year's festival.

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Judges will select the winner based on performance, skill and audience reaction - with contestants winning points if they receive the most stamps, booms of applause and cheers.

Miss Purshouse, who is from Wolverhampton, said: "It's a lovely way of packaging poetry, where an audience is involved in a really fast-moving event.

"They will start deciding who is their favourite and really want them to go through to the next round. It's a very fun, lively event.

"It's fantastic that the city has taken the literature festival on and started to run with it. It's important for Wolverhampton to have something like this."

Literary-inspired workshops, readings, presentations and performances are set to take over Wolverhampton, with the main bulk of events taking place from Friday.

Well-known figures set to visit the city include former politicians Alan Johnson and Ann Widdecombe, television star Kim Woodburn and Express & Star veteran Peter Rhodes.

More than 100 tickets have already been sold for the Poetry Slam, with about 30 still available on the door.

Tickets are £12 or £10 for concessions.