Dead Poets Slam: competitive poetry with a twist

Dead Poets Slam comes to Typewronger Books on Wednesday 2 December, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. It's a competitive poetry slam, but it turns the usual open mic on its head: rather than reading their own work, the performers embody dead poets and bring them back to life for the night. The result is a bill of literature from poets you'd never have expected to see perform live.

That's the core of the evening, and it's what gives the night its name. Instead of a line-up of local writers sharing their latest pieces, you'll get a series of poets stepping into the shoes of writers long gone, performing their work as if they were still here to do it. It's a competitive format, so there are winners to be decided, and the prizes are donated by the artist Catherine Redgate.

Hosting the whole thing is Dorothy Parker, the American poet and wit known for her sharp tongue and dry humour. Having her as the night's MC fits the spirit of the event — a writer who lived for the kind of wit and wordplay that a poetry slam thrives on, and who's herself one of the dead poets the night celebrates. She'll be the one guiding the evening along, introducing the acts and keeping the energy moving between the performances.

It's all happening at Typewronger Books, 22 Bruntsfield Place, in the heart of Edinburgh. Tickets are free, though there's an option to add a donation to the bookshop when you book. The night runs from 7:00pm to 9:00pm on Wednesday 2 December.