Tasso Alcolico Poetry Slam

Spoken word poetry in the heart of Vomero

The Tasso Alcolico Poetry Slam takes place in Naples, at 61 Via Girolamo Santacroce, in the venue that gives the event its name—one of the most popular spots in the Vomero district. Here, in an intimate room where the audience is just steps away from the microphone, the Società della Sibilla – Noi siamo parola poetry collective has brought one of the most vibrant forms of contemporary poetry: the slam, a competitive spoken word event. Launched in late 2024, it has since become a staple of the Neapolitan literary scene, with events held several times a year during winter and early summer.

How a poetry slam works

The rules are simple and consistent, and it is this very simplicity that makes the slam so direct. Each poet has three minutes per round, must perform original, unpublished work, and can rely only on two tools: their voice and their body.

• No background music, backing tracks, or instruments.
• No costumes, props, or disguises.
• Only words written by the performer.
• The audience is the jury: they vote based on the writing, the performance, and the emotion conveyed.

After each performance, the room assigns a score, and rounds continue until the night's winner is crowned. It is a mechanism that subverts the hierarchies of traditional salon poetry: credentials don't matter; what matters is what happens during those three minutes on stage.

The organizers: Società della Sibilla and CASPAR

The series is organized by the Società della Sibilla – Noi siamo parola poetry collective, an organization active primarily between Naples and Caserta and linked to the Luigi Vanvitelli International Prize. The heart of the project is Maria Pia Dell'Omo, one of the leading promoters of poetry slams in Campania for nearly a decade. On the Tasso Alcolico stage, the role of slam master is held by Tiziana Ferraiolo, a recognized figure in the Neapolitan slam scene, who hosts the evenings and keeps the pace between rounds. The collaboration with CASPAR – Campania Slam Poetry integrates these events into a wider regional network.

The open mic: the stage belongs to everyone

Alongside the competition, every evening features an open mic reserved for those who wish to read their verses without competing. It is the most natural entry point for those who have never been on stage: simply contact the collective to reserve your slot. This dual structure—tournament plus open mic—is what makes the evenings accessible even to audiences who do not typically attend poetry readings.

A piece of the national circuit

The Tasso Alcolico Poetry Slam events are official qualifiers for the national poetry slam championship: winners earn points and access to subsequent stages of the circuit, leading up to the regional Campania final and then the national final. For many emerging poets in the Metropolitan City of Naples, these evenings represent the first step on a journey that can take them far beyond Vomero.

More than just a competition: books, magazines, and guests

The evenings go beyond the competition itself. On various occasions, the program has hosted book launches, appearances by editors of Neapolitan literary magazines, and performances by guest artists. It is a way to bridge the performative nature of the slam with the more traditional experience of meeting authors.

Vomero, a neighborhood of words

A residential and commercial hill district in the Municipality of Naples, Vomero is served by the funicular and Metro Line 1 and is one of the neighborhoods with the highest density of bookstores, theaters, and venues in the city. The Tasso Alcolico Poetry Slam fits naturally into this fabric: a free, nocturnal, neighborhood event that speaks the international language of the slam, which was born in the United States in the 1980s and is now widespread throughout Italy. For those visiting Naples, it is an authentic, non-touristy opportunity to hear the city tell its story in verse.