Poetry prodigy slams national title

AFTER only four live performances under her belt, a local slam poet has been named the nation’s top young champion.

At 16 years old, Kierah Hayward, who writes under the pen name KJ Hayward, took the top spot in the Australian Poetry Slam National Final’s youth category, held at the Sydney Opera House last weekend.

Hayward was one of 16 poets, with two selected from each state, and said it was amazing to compete against other exceptional orators.

“Considering all the incredible past champions that have gone through it, it was pretty cool to be up there with some of Australia’s best poets,” she said.

“We had two rounds and five poets going into the second round.

“The first event was a heat in Shepparton which qualified me to go to the State Library in Melbourne for the Victorian finals. Then there was the Opera House after that.”

Hayward tied with New South Wales’ Rob Waters, who won the competition’s adult title.

Initially writing all manner of poetry “since [she] could hold a pen,” Hayward gravitated towards the slam style after being given APS alumnus and the competition’s youngest champion Solli Raphael’s autobiography.

Born and raised in Ballarat, she’s spent the last three years travelling Australia with her family in a caravan, which she said has given her a range of experiences to draw from.

“It’s introduced me to a whole lot of different cultures, beliefs, identities, opinions and communities,” she said.

“It’s really important for me to share my voice but also represent other people who don’t have voices.”

On returning to Ballarat, Hayward gave her first poetry reading, attending the Ballarat Spoken Word monthly open mic nights in early September, where she caught the attention of an Australian Poetry Slam representative.

Her interstate travels are set to continue with workshop presentations and festival appearances in Sydney and New South Wales.

“As long as I get to educate people and teach them how to use words to articulate how they view the world, that’s a successful career for me,” Hayward said.

“When people come up to me and tell me they’ve been moved by my poetry, that to me is a successful poem. It’s that feeling of wanting to jump out of your seat and change the world.”