The last night of the 2025 Bocas Lit Fest belonged to the people, at the Finals of the First Citizens National Poetry Slam. Voices “from the ground” rose to meet the high stage at NAPA, and what followed was less a show and more a necessary reckoning, as competitors interpreted the theme Bring It Home.
Shaquille Warren, a first-time finallist hailing from Aranguez, walked into the ring—literally and metaphorically—wearing a half-red, half-yellow boxing robe. What he delivered was an untitled poem shaped by the noise of an election season and the fatigue of a country still stuck in a cycle of fighting itself.
He wasn’t meant to perform that piece but as he explained, “The atmosphere leading up to the finals... the division, the back-and-forth, it didn’t sit right. I had to change it. This one felt necessary.”
That instinct proved right. Warren’s performance—raw, deliberate, and heavy with symbolism—earned him the top spot and a $50,000 prize.
He became the first poet in Slam history to win from the #1 performance slot, and only the fourth to win at their Slam debut. He also joins the ranks of fellow male winners as the seventh male champion.
This year’s edition of the First Citizens National Poetry Slam, the most anticipated spoken word event in the region, felt urgent. Familiar faces returned. So did heavy truths. Six former Slam champions were in the line-up. Two poets were making their Finals debut. Every performer brought something potent, but three rose to the top.
Taking second place was Derron Sandy, the 2021 champion and a stalwart of the scene, now appearing in his ninth final round. His piece, Prime Monster, charted the metamorphosis of a well-meaning citizen into a corrupted political figure, consumed by the hunger for votes and power.
He ended, holding an imaginary baby—a symbol of future generations—before throwing it skyward to the chilling echo of David Rudder’s “Vote for we, and we will set you free.” Sandy, for the third time, placed second.
In third place was Alicia Psyche Haynes, back for her second Finals. Her poem, Mr A, was more than a performance—it was a confession, a catharsis, and a call.
“It’s for every woman who gave too much to a man who gave too little,” she said. It was Friday-night backyard truth-telling energy, delivered with restraint and clarity.
The judging panel was made up of sharp eyes and experienced voices — poet Arielle John as head judge, joined by Nickolai Salcedo, Paul Keens-Douglas, Dr Sylvia Rose-Ann Walker, and guest judge Yomi Sode, a Nigerian British poet and playwright whose presence deepened the Slam’s international credibility.
Reflecting on the night, Arielle John remarked, “The poems on the ‘Bring It Home’ stage offered several calls to action. They interrogated how we govern, how we participate, and how we love. The Slam was a university course on Trinbago in the navigations of now. The real question is—what will you, the witness, do about it?”
This year also marked the return of the First Citizens National Poetry Slam to NAPA, after a six-year gap.
The energy in the room confirmed what many already knew—this is not just another show. It’s a barometer of national mood, and a space where the truth shows up unfiltered.
The night’s energy was guided by dynamic co-hosts Ainka Williams and Thaddeus “Thaddy Boom” Jardine, and a crowd that came ready to feel, not just to applaud.
There was also space for reflection. Marielle Forbes, Hospitality and Youth Manager at the Bocas Lit Fest, delivered a stirring tribute to the late Professor Funso Aiyejina, whose legacy is tightly woven into the Slam’s foundation.
“What you witnessed tonight, and what you’ll continue to see on future Slam stages, is part of the legacy Funso helped shape,” she said, calling it “an unapologetically Caribbean space where our young creatives can stand tall and remind the world that our stories matter.”
Jason Julien, Group Deputy CEO—Business Generation at First Citizens, praised the calibre of this year’s event.
“After 14 years, our poets continue to remain relevant, fresh, and impactful,” he noted.
“The Slam is a platform for honest perspectives delivered in meaningful ways. We congratulate our new and undisputed champion, Mr Shaquille Warren.”
In his remarks, Jean-Claude Cournand, CEO of the Bocas Lit Fest, made it clear that the Slam has never been just about poetry.
“It’s about listening. Radical listening. From Chief Justices to past prisoners, from students to the everyday citizen — this space holds room for all of us to hear each other,” he said.
“If someone in your life is out of touch, bring them to the Slam.”
Fourteen years since it began as a $1,000 open mic in a university hall, the Slam has grown into a space where Trinbagonians can unpack the nation’s hardest truths on stage, and still find beauty in the process.
And in 2025, the stage didn’t just hold the poets. It carried the country.