Miles Merrill combines poetry with theatre, experimental audio, hip-hop beats, stand-up and political confrontation; flinging words in a rapid-fire onslaught of versified emotion that hits your gut and palpitates your heart.
Merrill is the Creative Director / CEO of the charity Word Travels. Each year Word Travels inspires, trains, hires and empowers thousands of people from diverse communities to share their stories and poems with audiences around the world.
Through this role, Merrill has taught educators and leaders of non-profits in places like Namibia, Zimbabwe, India, Indonesia and more to bring more empathy and creativity into their organisations.
He is the founder of Australian Poetry Slam (APS), an international performing writers' program, which sees over 1000 writers performing in events across the Asia-Pacific every year. APS culminates annually in October with Story Week: a celebration of stories.
Merrill is the co-author of Slam Your Poetry - Write a Revolution.
He publishes award-winning poetry in print, audio and video. He is best experienced live.
Performing writer, Miles Merrill brought poetry slams to Australia from Chicago. He is the spark for dozens of spoken word programs across the Asia-Pacific region.
He has hosted an ABC TV special on poetry slams, released two albums, performed solo at Sydney Opera House and is a lecturer at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) in Sydney.
Catch him touring, theatres, galleries, schools and festivals across Australia, Asia, Europe, the UK and North America ... anywhere his word travels.
Catch Miles’ TED talk here.
Reveiws:
“Lots of performers claim to be multicultural but few straddle as many different cultures as gracefully and powerfully as Miles Merrill... hip and hilarious...wild, witty wordplay reminiscent of Gil-Scott Heron, Lenny Bruce, Ken Nordine and Ginsberg.”
- Chicago Reader
“Miles Merrill is the tour-guide of the human spirit... a remarkably adroit poet.”
- DB Magazine
“Merrill’s stories, set to a background of music, pack a solid punch. Visit this show to learn what performing is really about.”
- Adelaide Advertiser
“Passionate, deeply enjoyable and demands attention. More please.”
-Sydney Morning Herald
SELCETED HIGHLIGHTS:
Present
Australian Poetry Slam - National performing writers' program Director/Founder (since 2005)
Word Travels - International Performing Writers Association - Creative Director (since 2007)
2010 to Present - International Touring - Publishing - Film Production - Podcast Producing - Live Performances - Festival Directing - Curating - Creating mini-revolutions.
2011-12
Sydney Writers Festival- Program Consultant/Panel Chair /Host
Macquarie University - Macquarie Poetry Slam - Director (Since 2009)
2010
Sydney Writer’s Festival – Program Consultant/Panel Chair/Host
Brisbane Writers Festival- Program Consultant/ Writer/Panel Chair
Show Me The Way- Indigenous Mentoring Program- Facilitator
Going Down Swinging– audio poem published: Terra-ism – Sofie Loizu, Producer
Metro Magazine - Special Features - Contributor
Margaret River Writers Festival- Program Consultant /Facilitator/Panelist/Writer
Play Now - Act Now Festival – Official Judge
Chicago - Green Mill, Performance Venue – Guest Writer
2009
Children’s Book Council of Australia - Indigenous Youth - Facilitator
Sydney Writer’s Festival – Panelist/Facilitator/Writer
The Mint - Historic Houses Trust – Performed chapters of forthcoming book, Hits Trips and Scraps, with Synergy Percussion
The Penguin Anthology of Australian Poetry – poem published: Night's Knows
National Wakakirri School Story Festival – Official Judge
ABC2 TV- Host of the Australian Poetry Slam with Andrew Daddo.
Brett Whiteley Gallery - Dirty Curly CD poetry launch
2008
DIRTY CURLY 13 track CD published - Morganics, producer
Canada – Calgary Wordfest - Writer/Performer
Canada – Vancouver Writers Festival - Writer/Performer
Northern Territory- Australian Theatre for Young People- indigenous workshop facilitator– Tenant Creek,
Bookworm International Literary Festival- Writer/Performer in Beijing, Chengdu and Suzhou
Night Words Festival - Creator and Director of Australia’s first Spoken- word festival at the Sydney Opera House
Perth Writers Festival- Writer/Performer
2007
Bali- Ubud International Writers Festival - Writer/Performer
The Reel, DVD published - writer/performer - Denson Baker, producer
The Asia Literary Review - poem, Rain Song, published
Byron Bay Writers Festival - guest Writer/Performer
Krakow - Audio Art Festival - guest Writer/Performer -
Art Gallery of NSW - Writer/Performer for Art After Hours
QLD- Woodford Folk Festival - Featured writer/performer
2006
Sydney Opera House-The Studio- “Lamp Post Incantations” Solo Show with UK DJ Billy Bizniz
Speak Up! - A CD-rom- three poetry performances-commissioned by the Labour Party -
Northern Territory -Wordstorm Festival – Writer/Facilitator/Panellist
FBI RADIO (1.5 years)- presenter and producer of segments and shows
Museum of Contemporary Art - poet commissioned to respond to the Edward and Nancy Keinholz Exhibition
2005
Tour of Regional NSW - including, schools, festivals, libraries with wordshops and performances
Croc Festival - Wordshop Facilitator- Kempsey, NSW
Queensland Poetry Festival - Featured performer and wordshop facilitator
The Sydney Festival - writer, performer and assistant director of Slamming a poetry-theatre-music show
Cockatoo Island Festival - Spoken-Word Curator/Feature performer on the Cabaret Stage – Sydney
2004
Poet's on Wheels Tour - Performed and ran wordshops in schools-regional NSW
Randai Circus - Indonesian theatre show- Story developer - Newcastle
The Program - Australia Council's youth arts website - contracted arts journalist for 1.5 years
Leichhardt Poetry Slam Series - 7 spoken word events over two months-Co-ordinator/publicist/performer - Sydney, Newcastle, Thirroul
Australian National University - Discarded, A Multimedia Installation - Writer/Performer -Canberra
University of Technology Sydney - Guest lecturer - Poetry and Graphic Design
Publications
2010 - Going Down Swinging Literary Journal – Audio poem: Terra-ism Sofie Loizu, music producer.
2009 - The Penguin Anthology of Australian Poetry – poem: Night's Knows
2008 - DIRTY CURLY CD - writer/performer – Morganics music producer, Publisher: Invisible Forces
2007 - The Reel DVD - writer/performer - Denson Baker, producer Publisher: Word Travels
- The Asia Literary Review - poem, Rain Song
2001- What Night Knows CD - writer/performer - Publisher: Hunters and Gatherers
AWARDS
Sydney Writer's Festival - Winner - Poetry Sprint - Performer/Writer
Chicago Reader - Critic's Choice Award - One-man Show: Burning Down Under
State Library of NSW - Poetry Olympics - Winner - best written/performed one minute poem
Kurrajong Poetry Award - Winner - best written/performed poem
NSW Young Film makers Award - Short listed - Mind Plummet - Screenwriter
National Media Award - Nominated - Movers and Shakers - Article on the Paralympic Arts festival
Pseudonym Spoken Word Show - Best New Show - Melbourne Fringe