RHONDA COWELL

Rhonda Cowell is a spoken word poet based in Sydney, born in Jamaica and raised in London from the age of four.

Her work sits in the intersectionality of Blackness, motherhood and womanhood, exploring the tensions between them. Rhonda examines this through her own story of immigration and experience of raising her daughter, using poetry to make sense of both.

New to Sydney's poetry scene, she has featured at Sydney Poetry Lounge and twice at Bread & Butter, the first poet to do so within a single year. Rhonda has an upcoming slot at Poetica. This is her first Australian Poetry Slam, and she arrives at it all while growing a new addition to her family, whom they'll welcome in October 2026.

– See the APS NSW Finalists compete for the crown of APS ‘26 NSW State Final Champion at the 2026 NSW APS Final on 16 October at State Library of New South Wales.