About the Organization:
What is Southern Fried Poetry Slam?
Southern Fried Poetry Slam is an annual performing arts festival celebrating poetry, spoken word, and community outreach.
Learn more by visiting: https://www.southernfriedpoetryslam.com/about/
Does Southern Fried provide events throughout the year?
Yes! We host workshops, and other events such as a writer’s conference, family day events with open mics, and other slams. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more info!
Where is Southern Fried Poetry Slam usually held?
- Held annually in the Southeastern region of the U.S., plus Texas
- In region host cities submit bids each year
- Slammaster vote determines the host city
- The selected city has two years to plan
Tournament Information:
When does registration for the tournament open?
In region opens up on March 1st 12AM EST, and out of region opens up on March 15th 12AM EST. (Please note: your registration does not count unless all membership dues are paid. This includes all team members’ dues as well.)
What qualifies a team or indie as in-region?
A team is considered in-region if the majority of its members currently reside in one of the following states: FL, GA, NC, SC, VA, AL, MS, TN, AR, LA, KY, or TX.
Can out-of-region teams earn voting rights or in-region registration access?
Yes. Out-of-region teams that compete in three consecutive Southern Fried festivals earn voting rights in Slammaster meetings and early registration access, alongside in-region teams. This does not change residency classification and does not apply to individual competitors.
If an out-of-region team misses two consecutive festival years, voting rights and early registration privileges are revoked.
Do I have to currently reside in one of the in-region areas in order to be considered as in region?
Yes. You cannot represent an in-region area where you’re originally from. In-region counts as someone who is currently located in/residing in those specific areas stated above.
How many members do I have to have on my team at minimum to compete?
You need to have a minimum of 4 members on your team. You can have a max of 5 members. (6 if you count a coach, but only up to 5 people can compete.)
Do you have requirements on how your team can be formed?
Yes. Below are the ways a slammaster/coach can form their teams:
Team Creation: An organization’s Slammaster determines the specific format for team membership. It may be any one of the following:
– Closed invitational (consisting of 6 or more poets)
– One time slam that is open to public participation
– By competitive season (a series of slams over time resulting in a finals)
– Slams can be virtual, in person or hybrid.
What is the format for the tournament?
There are 3 nights of preliminary bouts. These bouts will consist of 4 teams and 2 individual poets (sometimes up to 4). The top 4 teams and top 4 indies after prelims will compete in finals. The 5th and 6th placed teams and indies will be the sacrificial poets for final stage.
My team is in-region and I want to sponsor an indie slot, is this allowed during in-region registration?
Indie registrations are first come first serve. If you are having a qualifier to sponsor an indie slot, you will need to have your slam before in-region registration starts. Same for out-of-region sponsored slots. We are no longer holding indie slots for slam venues.
Can you repeat poems from the preliminary rounds at Final Stage?
Yes. And, the time limit is raised to 3:20.
How much does it cost to register?
Teams – $275. Indies – $175
Are there any other fees associated with this competition?
Yes, there is a membership fee of $30 that is required for everyone participating in this tournament. This is required before your registration will be accepted.
What happens if a team member drops after registration?
If a member of your team drops after your register and you are looking to replace that spot, they can be replaced with someone else as long as the new poet is current on their membership dues.
Are substitutions allowed after registration closes?
If a member of your team is unable to attend which makes you short a person (having 3 members instead of the minimum 4), you will be able to add another team member at the tournament. Substitute poets must be current on their membership dues.
Can a poet compete as both team and indie for the competition?
No. Scoring is separate for teams and indies. Also, if you are an indie in this tournament, you cannot also compete on a team. It has to be either or.
What happens if slots fill before your team qualifier happens?
If you are an in-region team, you do have the option to register before your qualifier happens. We suggest having your qualifier before March 1st. (For both in-region and out of region.)
How are sacrificial poets for the tournament determined?
The Tournament director will work with the Host City team to find poets not competing in the festival to be the sacrificial poet for each bout. Sacrifice poets for team and indies finals are determined by overall tournament ranking.
Are registration fees refundable?
All refunds will be issued after the event on the 15th of the month following the Tournament as follows:
- Less than 60 days or more before the event, Full Refund.
- Less than 45 days before the event, 50% Refund.
- Less than 30 days before the event No Refund.
Do all the poets have to be present for orientation?
Yes. All competitors must be present at registration and orietation to qualify for the competition.
When does registration close?
Registration remains open until all spots are filled. The wait list continues to extend, and as teams/indies drop from the list, we will reach out to the next team and indie in line to make it fair.
Processes For Rule Changes, Slammaster Meetings, etc.:
I noticed that there are rules that possibly need a refresh, and I have some ideas to update them. What is the process for this?
The slammasters run the tournament. This includes rules, format of the competition, registration, etc. We suggest submitting a proposal by filling out this form. The proposal will then be discussed at the slammaster’s meeting, and voted on if there is a motion to do so. If the proposal cannot be sorted out, the slammasters have the option to table it for the next meeting.
When are the slammaster’s meetings held? Can anyone attend?
Slammaster’s meetings are held quarterly. (Twice in person in June during the festival, then once in September, January, and April.) Anyone can attend these meetings but in order to vote on items that relate to the tournament, this has to be done by slammasters with voting rights. If you are not sure about your voting status, please email us at info@southernfriedpoetryslam.com.
We encourage everyone to attend these meetings!
What is usually covered at slammaster’s meetings?
The agenda ranges from upcoming events, updates for the upcoming festival, big announcements, and so much more. These are informative, and we want to reiterate, we encourage you to come to these meetings.
I have a formal complaint, what is the process for me to submit this?
Please submit this to info@southernfriedpoetryslam.com. We will review the complaint and get back to you within 24-48 hours on next steps.