Ten years ago at a small bar known by the moniker Joyce Is Not Here, a small gathering of poets began to share their work on a weekly basis. This creative meeting endured rough patches, slow months, two changes of venue and the departure of many faces, as is often the case with Hong Kong, our transient city. Yet somehow it has survived for ten years, and is now going stronger than ever. Open mics now take place at
Orange Peel, every Wednesday at 8pm, and new talent walks up to the mic on a weekly basis. Those ten years deserve to be celebrated, and
Peel Street Poetry did just that on the 21st of October 2015 by hosting a poetry slam, an open mic and a performance by one of Hong Kong's leading local bands The Anello. The night was entertaining, raucous and unforgettable. For those of you who were unable to attend,
Cha has gathered the poems of the four slam finalists for you to enjoy. Keep in mind that these works were written under a five-minute time constraint and then immediately performed in front of an audience of more than 150 people.
From left to right: Denis Tsoi, Keisha Siriboe, Blair Reeve, Megain Hills