Ayse Irem wins German Poetry Slam Championship

Ayse Irem from North Rhine-Westphalia is the new German-speaking poetry slam champion. At this year's competition, the 26-year-old came out on top against 80 competitors in the individual competition and received a standing ovation from the audience of around 1,800 in the Chemnitz Stadthalle. She had competed for I,Slam - a network of Muslim poetry slammers.

In her combative texts, the qualified architect addresses everyday racism in Germany and the feeling of "never being white enough". Second and third place behind Irem went to Julius Althoetmar from Bavaria and Lia Hartl from Austria.

Berlin duo win third team title

For four days, Chemnitz, European Capital of Culture 2025, was the meeting place for the German-speaking poetry slam scene. The modern poetry contest was held in an individual and a team competition. In the team final on Friday evening, the duo Wortwin & Slamson from Berlin came out on top out of eight finalists. According to the organizers, the duo secured their third team title thanks to their linguistic originality, precise timing and captivating stage presence.

At a poetry slam, authors present texts they have written themselves on a stage and face the judgment of the audience. The texts can be critical, funny, political or even personal. The presenters must adhere to a time limit. While aids such as costumes or props are taboo, facial expressions and gestures are allowed and the text can also be rapped.

Participants from seven countries

The championship was held for the 29th time. The participants came from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. Poetry slams have a large fan base in German-speaking countries, with such competitions being held regularly in large cities in particular. Previous finalists in the German-language championship include well-known names such as Hazel Brugger and Marc-Uwe Kling.