Lucienne Kim Flavell Performs at Cheltenham Literary Festival: The UK All Stars Poetry Slam!

  Lucienne Kim Flavell Performs 

At Cheltenham Literary Festival: 

The UK All Stars Poetry Slam!

I arrived in Cheltenham only a few hours before the UK All Stars Poetry Slam started. There was just enough time to check in at my hotel and have dinner at Brassiere Blanc.

A lady welcomed me at the Parabola Arts Centre. She advised the show was sold out with 380 people attending. I was guided inside to join the group of poets who would be performing. I saw some familiar faces; poets who had appeared at the Ledbury Poetry Slam. It felt akin to comradeship as they came to hug and kiss me hello.

The UK All Stars Poetry Slam kicked off with The Proclaimers 'I'm Going To Be 500 Miles' song as Sarah-Jane Arbury and Elvis McGonagall danced onto stage. Sarah-Jane warmed up the audience by getting them to practice clapping, stamping, cheering and whistling. She said the show was being held here because the organizers at Cheltenham Literary Festival said we were too noisy to be in a tent!

Suddenly my introduction was read aloud, "Lyrics can lift one's heart, prose can make one think, and speeches can move one to action. Poetry can do all three. That is why I fell in love with it."

I stepped into the light. All my anxiety washed away. I was as comfortable performing to the crowd as I was practicing alone in my bedroom. I even laughed at my own jokes!

When I finished the audience burst into applause and stamped their feet. I was overwhelmed. It was great to hear my peers say how much I had improved my stage presence since Ledbury.

It was a fantastic evening. It's safe to say I have become a poetry slam addict. I can't wait until the next one!