Bio

Charles Ellik embodies a rare combination of successful published poet, award-winning performer, respected organizer, and popular emcee. He hosts the Berkeley Poetry Slam which has earned "Best of The East Bay" and many critics' choice awards since its inception in 1999. In addition to The Berkeley Slam, he has hosted myriad other slams and open mics throughout California, attesting to his formidable emcee skills. After moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in '97, he took over the SF slam and touched off an explosion in the Northern California performance poetry scene, resulting in a First Place tie at the National Slam in '99 between SF and San Jose, with Oakland in third. His greatest sense of accomplishment has come from coaching poets and slam teams to their numerous regional and national titles. He has featured across N. America and Britain and has been featured in many anthologies and jounals including Freedom To Speak (2002 National Slam Anthology), Berkeley Fiction Review, Pearl, Poetry Super Highway, and Clean Sheets.

Honors, Awards, and Stagemates:
Radio Appearances on KALX, KPFA (Pacifica), KUCI, and BBC
Performances at Masonic Auditorium, Nuyorican Poets Café, Bowery Poetry Club, Green Mills, Paddington Arts (London)
Winner, "Best Open Mic"- LA Weekly
Winner, "Best of the East Bay"- East Bay Express