The stage was set for Emtithal “Emi” Mahmoud ’16 at the Individual World Poetry Slam Championship (iWPS). Entering the final round of the competition, she had drawn the last slot for the last bout. Despite the high-pressure situation, she performed a piece she had finished only hours before. And she won.
“I was dazed,” she recalls. “I was like, ‘Wait, what? That just happened?’”
The Yale senior was crowned the iWPS champion on Oct. 10. The event boasted an initial field of 96 poets, the largest yet in competition history. The annual four-day competition is organized by Beltway Poetry Slam and Poetry Slam Inc. (PSi), and attracts some of the world’s best poets. In addition to the main competition, the championship includes workshops, open mics, and events for all ages.
http://news.yale.edu/2015/10/26/yale-senior-wins-individual-world-poetry-slam-championship?utm_source=YNemail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ynalumni-10-27-15
