Guests at the Derby Silk Mill at the Museum of Making on October 22 were treated to an awe-inspiring night of sublime performances from contestants at the Derby Poetry Festival 2024‘s “Poetry Slam”. Among the contests were two poets of Nigerian descent; Dami Okhiria who went on to win this year’s slam, and JAY Lit Issue 7 contributor, Olamide Shobowale who left many members of the audience in tears with her rendition.
The twelve contestants at this year’s slam were picked from a wide pool of other talented poets. Prior to the slam, they participated in a workshop organized by the Derby Poetry Festival and led by Safiya Kimaria Kinshasha.
The slam’s venue, Derby Silk Mill at the Museum of Making is widely regarded as the site of the world’s first modern factory, built in the valley that changed the world and shaped Derby as a city of making and creativity. This evidently served as an inspiration for all contestants who gave the judges a hard task. The judges, Dan Webber, Ben McPherson, Jack Washingdale, Panya Banjoko, and Jasmine Gardosi eventually announced Dami Okhiria as the overall champion.
All the performances were moving, leaving the audience reeling with laughter or teary-eyed. Dami Okhiria was undoubtedly masterful and the clear winner, and Olamide Shobowale particularly received high praise, especially as members of the audience could be seen tearing up at her poems and performance.
Often referred to as DPF, Derby Poetry Festival is a four-day poetry and literature festival held in the centre of Derby in the autumn. Previous headliners include: Linton Quasi Johnson, recent T S Elliott Prize winner Joelle Taylor, and Shivanee Ramlochan. The festival hosts a range of performances, workshops, slams, and panel discussions for all ages in partnership with many venues in the city, including Quad, Derby Museums, Derby Theatre, and Derby Libraries. It is supported by Arts Council England and Derby City Council.
Dami Okhiria is a medic and spoken word artist based in Sheffield. She has won many poetry slams including the Hammer and Tongue Cambridge Slam. She writes about her experience in life and medicine and is a member of the feminist arts collective ‘Verse Matters’.
Olamide Shobowale is a creative writer, with a forte in prose-fiction. Olamide has spent the last decade developing her prowess as a writer including writing thrillers filled with suspense and high stakes. She has a Master’s degree in Creative writing from the University of Derby, and is a member of the Screenwriters Guild of Nigeria.
Congratulations to Dami and Olamide!
