SHOUTxDS Books ‘Slam Poetry Nights’ takes the stage at Dhaka Lit Fest with aplomb

Slam poetry nights, a monthly collaborative event by SHOUT and Daily Star Books, returned for its 5th installment on Thursday, January 2023, this time at the heart of the first day of Dhaka Lit Fest 2023 at Nazrul Mancha, Bangla Academy. 

13 participants from Bangladesh and abroad took centre stage to perform the poetry they had written about various topics, in both Bangla and English, to a contemplative and reminiscing audience. Topics ranged from the dangers of writing about political issues, the inner struggles of the youth in south Asian society, to the ethos of unrequited love.

Amongst the many first-time participants were returning faces from previous installments of slam poetry nights. The ages of the performers ranged from school and university students to working young adults. Many participants rejoiced at the opportunity to perform something so personal to them at the historic Nazrul Mancha. 

The event was open to all attendees of the Day 1 of the Dhaka lit fest, and the resulting audience was quite diverse. However, a gathering of wide-eyed, literature and poetry-enthusiast young people was especially noticeable at the spot. It was a heartwarming and hopeful sight to behold.