Contestants of all ages, experiences and talents perform live and are judged by the audience to determine the best both locally and nationally through a succession of heats and finals.
Events are typically hosted by the previous year's Australian Poetry Slam Champion or another established performing writer.
Word Travels created and continues to run the Australian Poetry Slam both through government funding and grants, as well as donations from the public.
[2][6][7] Word Travels has additionally created an annual literary festival known as Story Week (formerly Story-Fest until 2019) which coincides with the Sydney, New South Wales and National Finals of the Australian Poetry Slam.
Story Week takes place throughout various locations in Sydney, NSW and typically includes workshops, forums and performances by local and international artists.
Artists involved in Story Week have included Ian Keteku, Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa, Kaie Kellough and Deborah Emmanuel.
The Australian Poetry Slam Champion has also received a two-week writing retreat in New South Wales with Bundanon Trust.