The first National Poetry Slam was held at Fort Mason in 1990 in San Francisco.
The first winner of this event was Patricia Smith, who would go on to win the Individual National Poetry Slam Championship title a record four times.
[3] Starting in 2004, Poetry Slam Inc. (PSI) began hosting a separate event called the Individual World Poetry Slam (IWPS), in which solo poets, rather than teams, competed for the championship title.
Also in 2008, the Women of the World Poetry Slam (WOWPS) was introduced, in which only female and female-identified poets are allowed to compete.
[8] The winner of this competition has traditionally been given a showcase spot on the finals stage at NPS.