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
SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS:
Present
Australian Poetry Slam - performing writers' program Director/Founder
Word Travels - International Performing Writers Association - Creative Director
2010 to Present - International Touring - Publishing - Film Production - Podcast Producing - Live Performances - Festival Directing - Curating - Creating mini-revolutions
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