Monique Hendriks wins NK Poetry Slam 2021

Jury and audience unanimous on new Dutch Poetry Slam champion

Monique Hendriks has become Dutch Poetry Slam 2021 champion. After preliminary rounds across the country, 11 poetry slammers faced each other in the finals on Friday evening, 24 September, during the International Literature Festival Utrecht. Monique Hendriks took on Lucas Kloosterboer in the final battle and captured the national title. Hendriks succeeds Martje Wijers, who went home with the win in 2020. The new national slam champion received the Gouden Vink challenge trophy, named after poet/writer Simon Vinkenoog, and a cheque for a thousand euros.

During the grand final of the NK Poetry Slam, in a sold-out hall in TivoliVredenburg, no fewer than 11 word artists from the Netherlands and Flanders competed against each other: Bekvegter (Martijn Nelen), Effie Ophelders, Ellen Oosterwijk, Hindirk Hannema, Jeroen Naaktgeboren, Levi Noë, Lucas Kloosterboer, Marrit Jellema, Monique Hendriks, Sannemaj Betten and Suzanne Krijger. They secured a place in the final by winning an earlier preliminary round in the Netherlands or Belgium. After tonight, Monique Hendriks can call herself Dutch Poetry Slam 2021 champion, takes home the Gouden Vink challenge trophy and wins €1000. Second place went to Lucas Kloosterboer, who went home with a €250 prize.

The audience determines

The poets not only had to convince the jury but also win over the audience. The applause meter was reinstated (after a year's absence due to corona): the audience could cast their votes by applauding and cheering as loudly as possible for their favourite poetry slammer. This year, the jury consisted of poet Derek Otte, spoken word artist Yousra Benfquih and poet/writer Anne Vegter. The presentation was in the hands of Daan Doesborgh and Merel Jansen. DJ Daniel Zuur, aka KRAUT, provided the beats for this final, and there was also music by Dutch indie band Waltzburg.

The jury on Hendriks

After a first round, in which all slammers showed their skills individually, and a second round with five more contestants, Monique Hendriks and Lucas Kloosterboer remained in the final. The jury praised Hendriks' power of imagination and her balanced performance, offering praise: "Monique is a poet with a voice that is going to develop much further and become very big. The jury recommendation in one word: Monique." After the jury recommendation, Hendriks also received the most votes from the audience, via the applause meter.

Poetry slam in the Netherlands

Poetry slam originated in the United States and emerged in the 1970s. In the 1990s, slamming blew over to Europe and the Netherlands. A poetry slam (from the English, to slam = to hurl, smash) is a verbal boxing match. In several rounds of competition, poets recite their poems. Poetry slam is about content as well as recitation. But the most important thing for the performers is to get the audience excited. The Dutch Poetry Slam Championship has been organised since 2002. The final is traditionally part of the ILFU (International Literature Festival Utrecht), which takes place in Utrecht from 23 September to 2 October 2021.