Derron Sandy is new FCB Poetry Slam champion

DERRON SANDY has won his first Grand Slam title after five appearances in the finals of the First Citizens National Poetry Slam (FCNPS).

The event was broadcast on October 17, and the winner was revealed live on the TTT NOW Morning show on October 18.

Thousands tuned in to the televised finals, as well as the livestream on Facebook and YouTube, said a media release. Poets and viewers alike saluted Sandy’s delivery of a piece entitled The Real Warlords, paying tribute to vendors and service providers who found ways to earn a living during lockdown restrictions, the release said.

Last year’s champion Alexandra Stewart, who made history by being the first poet to win two years consecutively, hoped to perform a hat-trick in 2021, but earned second place, with poet Michael Logie placing third.

Sandy took home first place prize of $50,000, the second was $20,000 and the third place won $10,000.

The three poets were revealed on TTT NOW Morning Show, by Jason Julien, group deputy CEO, business generation, at First Citizens – the long-standing sponsor of the Slam. Julien, praising the poets’ performances, said the spoken word poets’ words truly reflect who we are, and emphasised how honoured First Citizens is to continue to give these talented voices a platform on which to be heard, the release said.

This year’s slam was themed Poetry is Resilience.

Sandy claimed his first Grand Slam and expressed immense gratitude for his long-awaited win, particularly at a time plagued with uncertainty. He shared his philosophy about the slam and his hope that spoken word continues to develop by saying, “God will rebuild the city from ruins,” the release said.

Dennise Demming, on behalf of her fellow judges – Marge Blackman, Paul Keens-Douglas, Kwame Weekes and Whitney Husbands – remarked that all the 11 finalists’ performances were of a high standard.

Founder of the Bocas Lit Fest Marina Salandy-Brown congratulated all the poets, and Sandy in particular for his win. “We are very pleased that First Citizens recognises the transformative nature of this sort of self-expression and is committed to it, and are very grateful to TTT for putting so much creative effort into producing a wonderful show that matched the poetic talent on stage,” Salandy-Brown said in the release.

This is the ninth year of the National Poetry Slam, managed by the Bocas Lit Fest, and sponsored by First Citizens, and is the first year with broadcast partner TTT.

The 2021 Grand Slam can be viewed at www.bocaslitfest.com/youth/poetry-slam/ and www.youtube.com/c/TTTLiveOnline

Full results:

1st –Derron Sandy

2nd – Alexandra Stewart

3rd– Michael Logie

4th – Abdul Majeed Abdal Karim

5th – Ronaldo Mohammed

6th – Zakiya Gill

7th – Terriq Betaudier

8th – Terryl Betaudier

9th – Shivana Sharma

10th – Renaldo Briggs

11th – Seth Sylvester