ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 Orlando will host the 34th Annual Southern Fried Poetry Slam Festival\u2014bringing the nationally recognized spoken word competition to Central Florida for the first time.<\/p>\n
Scheduled for June 9-13, the festival is expected to draw over 200 poets, 32 teams, and 32 individual competitors to Orlando for five days of poetry slams, open mics, workshops, and community gatherings.<\/p>\n
Since its founding in 1993, Southern Fried Poetry, Inc. has grown into one of the nation\u2019s largest and most respected spoken word competitions. Organizers emphasize that the festival is more than a contest, it\u2019s a celebration of storytelling, creativity, and community.<\/p>\n
The Literary Arts Council of Central Florida, a nonprofit co-founded by former Orlando Poet Laureate Shawn Welcome and Alex Gurtis, will host the festival.<\/p>\n
\u201cOrlando has always had a vibrant literary and spoken word community \u2014 we have been building it for years, brick by brick, mic by mic,\u201d Welcome said. \u201cBringing Southern Fried to Central Florida will catalyze our literary arts scene into an even brighter future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Festival events will be held at venues throughout Orlando and Eatonville, including the Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando Public Library, CityArts, and the Callahan Community Center.<\/p>\n
The festival will open June 9 with the #ReviveZora Kickoff, a tribute to author Zora Neale Hurston in Eatonville, her hometown and one of the nation\u2019s oldest incorporated Black municipalities.<\/p>\n
Poets will compete for nearly $20,000 in prize money, including a $5,000 prize for the winning team.<\/p>\n
Organizers say the event represents a major milestone for Orlando\u2019s growing arts and culture scene and is expected to draw performers and audiences from across the country.<\/p>\n
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