ON the seventh day of the seventh month for £7 at 7.30pm, come witness one of the highlights of the Say Owt calendar in York, invites spoken-word slam co-host Henry Raby.

Say Owt Slam's Clash of Champions will be held at The Basement, City Screen, on July 7, introduced by Raby and Stu Freestone. "Once a year we gather champions from across the United Kingdom in a wild night of performance poetry, spoken word and raw verse," says Henry. "These are some of the best poets in the country, acts that have cut their teeth at open mics, slams and literature festivals all gathered under one roof with one microphone.

"This year we have competitors travelling from Leeds, Hull, Peterborough, Bristol and London, each one a stalwart of their scene and full of skill, hungry to be crowned Champion of Champions."

Now supported by Arts Council England, Say Owt has been hosting "sizzling spoken-word slams" since 2014 in York. "The nights are full of excitable energy, " says Henry. "Poets have a maximum of three minutes each to wow an audience with funny, sharp, heartfelt and lively spoken word. Each slam has a winner, someone who the audience have voted their favourite act of the night, and this time it's the Clash of Champions."

Taking part next month will be: Katie Greenbrown, from York, winner of the 2017 York Culture Awards' prize for Best Performing Artist, and fellow York slam acts Kit Rayne, co-ordinator for Umbrella Press, and Katherine Walton, plus Alex Tyler, from Peterborough, host of Good Shout Slam; Chris Singleton, from Leeds, host of Off Yours Slam; Dave Mahoney, from Hull; Hannah Robbins, from Leeds; Jake Wild Hall, from London, co-host of Boomerang Open Mic; Lily Luty, from Todmorden; Ruth Awolola, from London, and Sophie Shepherd, from Bristol.

Special guest performers on the night will be Rose Condo and Dave Jarman. "Huddersfield poet Rose Condo has been smashing the spoken-word scene, winning slams in Newcastle, Edinburgh and York. Her verse is littered with stories, charm and wit," says Henry. "Dave Jarman is no stranger to the York scene, being a regular part of both the spoken word and music circuit. His poetry is honest, energetic and full of gobby love."

As mentioned at the top, admission is £7 on the door.

Charles Hutchinson