Following the success of the 1st Queer & Feminist Poetry Awards in 2020, Unwanted Words is proud to announce: the 2nd Queer & Feminist Poetry Awards: Decolonizing Gender Edition.
Ever since the platform started, our objective has remained unwavering: to create safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ voices and to celebrate their artistry through poetry and spoken word. And what best way to acknowledge queer talent than to devote an entire night to discovering, awarding, and celebrating artists who unapologetically create, emote, and innovate.
This year, we are doing things a bit differently: under the theme of “Decolonizing Gender”, we are exploring the ways slavery and colonialism have influenced the lives, rights, and realities of Brown, Black, and Indigenous women and LGBTQIA+ people. Using poetry and spoken word as the medium of expression, the awards will foreground the experiences of these communities and provide a stage for marginalized stories. As a community, we are actively engaged in organizing and participating in events around this theme, and are strongly committed to promoting inclusivity, diversity, and representation in the arts.
“These awards represent a way to celebrate and acknowledge the talent in our communities and a platform to help LGBTQ+ talent open doors to bigger stages and opportunities” – said Luis Bracamontes, host and founder of Unwanted Words. The awards are a not-for-profit celebration of the best and most outstanding poets and spoken word artists whose works discuss topics of feminism and queerness from an intersectional perspective, centering on diversity and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) voices.
Save the date 📅: The award ceremony will take place on Saturday 25 November 2023 at WORM, Rotterdam. More info coming soon.
Stay tuned!