Story Slam Open Mic Series
Creative performance opportunities for young writers, supported by the Amazon Literary Partnership
Story Slam Open Mic Series: Creative Performance Opportunities for Young Writers
What is Story Slam?
Story Slam is a series of open mic events hosted by Fighting Words, designed to give young people aged 13-18 from all over the island of Ireland a platform to showcase their stories, poems, and songs at both in-person and online gatherings.
Story Slam provides an opportunity for young people to share their creative work with an audience of fellow writers, family, and friends!
In addition to the live events, Story Slam events are recorded for episodes of the Fighting Words Podcast.
Story Slam in Dublin: The Story So Far!
The first Story Slam took place on Saturday, 28 September 2024 at the Fighting Words centre. Young people from Write Club and beyond shared poetry, stories and songs. The centre came alive with creativity and there was a huge buzz in the air.
On Saturday, 14 December 2024, we hosted our second Story Slam open mic event in Dublin. Family, friends, and Fighting Words volunteers filled the audience to support the young writers. The day was brimming with excitement, creativity, and a festive spirit.
Building on the momentum of our initial Story Slam event, in addition to young writers who responded to our open call, Write Quest members from Fighting Words NI in Belfast teamed up with Write Quest Dublin members to present the pieces they had crafted with their project mentors at a series of workshops in the autumn.
Additional Story Slam sessions took place in March and September 2025, offering further opportunities for young people to share their creative work. At each session, between 15 and 20 young people performed to packed audiences!
The final Story Slam session for 2025 took place at the Dublin Book Festival, in The Chapel at the Irish Museum of Modern Art. MC Dave Rudden hosted 20 young performers in front of an audience of 100 people, including many family and friends.
Performers at the Story Slam event at the Dublin Book Festival, November 2025 with MC Dave Rudden
Story Slam performers September 2025
Story Slam September 2025
The amazing audience at Story Slam September 2025
Performing at Story Slam, March 2025
Sharing creative work at Story Slam, March 2025
A Very Special Story Slam: the Legacy of Brendan Behan
On Saturday, 7 February 2026, Fighting Words and Dublin City Council were honoured to unveil a plaque at the site of Brendan Behan's childhood home. Behan Square hosted a day of powerful stories, music and memories in celebration of the author's legacy and featured a very special edition of Story Slam for the occasion.
Thirteen members from Write Club, the Fighting Words community of teen writers, wrote and performed original works inspired by Dublin and Brendan Behan, showcasing the next generation of literary talent in the city!
Check out the video below to watch the incredible performances!
Podcast Recording
Both performances were recorded for a future episode of the Fighting Words Podcast, which are all available wherever you get your podcasts!
Future Events
Story Slam runs four times a year in Dublin and is scheduled for additional locations. Check our News section and keep an eye on our social media for all the details!
The Fighting Words Story Slam Series has been made possible thanks to a grant from the Amazon Literary Partnership.
