Carmien Michels triumphs at EC poetry slam
The Belgian poet Carmien Michels claimed victory in the EC poetry slam. She won the hearts of the jury in her home town of Leuven with the poems she read aloud.
This was the second European championship poetry slam to be organised in Leuven by the non-profit organisation Creatief Schrijven. Twenty poets went head to head in a poetry battle on the theme of ‘utopia', in which not only the poem but also its presentation was key. In the end the members of the international jury were massively impressed by the artful writing of the Belgian Carmien Michels. The audience award once again went to the Hungarian Bence Bárány.
Carmien Michels may now go on to represent our country at the world championship poetry slam in Paris. This poet from Leuven trained in Diction at the Antwerp's Royal Conservatorium, but her career took off before even graduating. For example, she reached the shortlists of the Debut prize and won the Bronzen Uil with her first novel ‘We zijn water’, while also landing her first Belgian title in the poetry slam.