Re-verse to Shepparton: Australian Poetry Slam Youth Champion K.J. Hayward returns for local slam

In 2023, K.J. placed second in the Shepparton Library heat of the annual Australian Poetry Slam competition and went on to become the national youth champion.

Now, she will bring her brand of firestorm in word form back to the Goulburn Valley to pursue a consecutive championship title.

Shepparton Library is hosting an APS heat on Sunday, September 8, with winners advancing towards the championship slam.

Anyone who believes this will be filled with impressions of Jonah Hill’s performance in 22 Jump Street — “Waving my hands a lot. Specific point of view on things. Cynthia. Cyn-thi-a.” — should think again.

Slam poetry is a cut-throat sport, not for its competition but for its competitors’ slicing of societal issues and intensely personal anecdotes.

And K.J. is one of them.

Mild and reserved are not words to describe her, except for the time before homeschooling when she was confined between a desk and a plastic chair.

“I’ve always been a fiery, outspoken person, but when I was at school, I was really quiet,” she said.

Near the end of Year 6, a 12-year-old K.J. came across the work of Solli Raphael, the youngest winner of the APS.

“It introduced me to a type of poetry that had writing combined with passion and performance,” she said.

“It was the remedy that I needed at the time.”

K.J. describes herself as a “rage writer” stirred by feminism, toxic masculinity and the taboo topic of the underdeveloped school system failing to accommodate individuals like herself who do not fit the mould.

The latter was the subject of her performance at the 2023 APS Championship.

At the Sydney Opera House, K.J. stood before the microphone, her eyes clear and focused on reciting her poem Ode To My Teachers from memory.

But her eyes didn’t have to hold the audience’s attention for long as her razor-sharp tongue unleashed.

Today, I will hold the red pen and correct your behaviour

Like you corrected my originality

The audience rode the rhythm of her voice, from “I was a flame in your fire ban” to “This system is so exam paper-thin” and finally, “You are all dismissed”.

“I really enjoy performing, and I don’t get nervous because I go into a trance that blocks out negativity,” K.J. said.

“The lights were too bright (at the Sydney Opera House) anyway.

“I couldn’t see the first row, so there could have been 15 people in the audience, and I wouldn’t have known.”

It was not 15 people, but hundreds, who witnessed K.J.’s blizzard of words.

She stepped off the stage to rapturous cheers and whoops and returned to receive her title as the 2023 Australian Poetry Slam Youth Champion.

Since then, the poetry prodigy has published a new book, Puzzles, participated in open mics and poetry slams nationwide, and continued to hone her craft.

“A lot of the inspiration has come from conversations and stories from all of the people I’ve met travelling across Australia,” she said.

“It’s reflective poetry, mainly based on experiences, and as I’ve experienced more, my poetry has grown with it.

“The change in my writing is very evident — I used to do a lot of storytelling style, then activism, and now, I’m doing more comedy, and I’m trying rap.”

To infuse poetry with the energy of the rap music and comedic expression she enjoys, K.J. studied her idols Luka Lesson, Dax and Eminem.

What followed was a new wave of fresh content, ready to be revealed at the upcoming Shepparton Library heat.

“I’ll be performing new poetry that I’ve been writing recently, some of it will be comedy,” she said.

“It’s exciting because this is the heat that I went through, and there’s definitely the possibility that a new winner is there.”

For the aspiring poets, wordsmiths or artists considering debuting at the Shepparton event, a tinge of nerves is not at all unusual.

K.J.’s advice: don’t overthink it.

“Don’t stress about it being perfect because perfect is very boring,” she said.

“The honesty that comes with slam poetry, that’s the most important part.

“When someone has the courage to get up and perform a poem that’s really close to them ... it’s cool to share that intimacy, and that deserves being called a champion.”

The Australian Poetry Slam heat will be held on Sunday, September 8, from 7pm to 9pm at Shepparton Library, 41-42 Marungi St, Shepparton.

Doors open for poet sign-up at 6.30pm.

Please note that poets can only register in person at the event, and spaces are limited.

To register your attendance as an audience member, visit https://tinyurl.com/mvnptbpx