Poetry Slam, Inc.

NPS is the largest team performance poetry event in the world. Teams from all over North America, and a few from other places converge in a different city every summer for five days of poetry, revelry and competition.

The first National Poetry Slam took place in San Francisco in 1990 and was hosted by Gary Mex Glazner. It involved one San Francisco team competing against one Chicago team and one individual from New York. Chicago won that first NPS.

The general answer is that NPS happens in a different city every summer.
1990 San Francisco, CA
1991 Chicago, IL
1992 Boston, MA
1993 San Francisco, CA
1994 Asheville, NC
1995 Ann Arbor, MI
1996 Portland, OR
1997 Middletown, CT
1998 Austin, TX
1999 Chicago, IL
2000 Providence, RI
2001 Seattle, WA
2002 Minneapolis, MN
2003 Chicago, IL
2004 St. Louis, MO
2005 Albuquerque, NM
2006 Austin, TX
2007 Austin, TX
2008 Madison, WI
2009 West Palm Beach, FL

The short answer is, not any more. The vast majority of poets at NPS in the past have been on a team from a certified Poetry Slam venue, but a few individuals who had no local venue had been able to play on the NPS stage too. We called them "Storm poets" to honor the late Pat Storm, a member of the Asheville NPS Championship team from 1995. But 2005 was the last year we accepted individual applications to the NPS. Beginning in 2006, NPS will be a tournament between teams only. Individuals will be encouraged to apply for the Individual World Poetry Slam Championship or other individual events PSI may sponsor. There is still plenty of room for maverick poets to show up at NPS and play on the daytime stages or the late night events though. PSI is always open to bringing "one more to the party."

There has been pressure every year to increase the number of teams allowed in the National Poetry Slam. In 2005 we hosted 75 teams, more than have ever attend NPS before. We believe we have hit our logistical limit at 80 teams.

You have to bring a team from a certified venue. Please read the FAQ on Venue Certification.

Prior to 2007, we were using a "first come, first served" system, where registration for NPS began at 12:00:01 AM on April 1. The significance of the date does not escape us.

A new FAQ is currently being written for our new eligibility system, called "Win 2 and You're In." Stay tuned for more info.

Currently, the team application fee is $400. In addition, each member of the team must also be a member of Poetry Slam, Inc. Team registration price is subject to change from year to year.