Literary Death Match


Literary Death Match is a reading series co-created in 2006 by Todd Zuniga, Elizabeth Koch, and Dennis DiClaudio. The series features four readers who read their own writing for seven minutes or less, and are then critiqued by three judges in the categories of literary merit, performance and intangibles. The winner is then decided by a literary-skewed, game show-type finale to decide who wins the Literary Death Match crown.

Locations

The Literary Death Match occurred regularly in New York City, San Francisco and London, and was produced in a total of 37 cities around the world. In the United States: Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Portland, Kansas City, Austin, San Diego, Iowa City, Miami, Orlando, Denver, Tulsa, Seattle, Raleigh, and Dallas. In Canada: Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. And internationally: Dublin, Paris, Edinburgh, Beijing, Glasgow, Vilnius and Shanghai. On September 7, 2011, the event presented its 1,000th participant in Glasgow.

United States

In the United States, the event featured readers Tom Perrotta, Daniel Handler and The Believer editor Heidi Julavits and judges like Pulitzer Prize winners Richard Russo and Jennifer Egan, 24's Mary Lynn Rajskub, supermodel Paulina Porizkova, and the musician Moby.

Europe

In Europe, the event featured readers Joe Dunthorne, Esther Freud, Nikesh Shukla, comedy writers David Quantick and Robert Popper, and judges Rich Fulcher, model-turned-author Sara J. Stockbridge, comedian Josie Long, Sichuan chef Fuchsia Dunlop, Kaiser Chiefs drummer Nick Hodgson and Irish musician Cathy Davey.

Accolades

In 2008, Literary Death Match was named "Best Scribbler Smackdown" by the San Francisco Bay Guardian "Best of the Bay" awards. In 2010, Interview Magazine said "Events like Literary Death Match are helping to revitalize the coolitude of the printed word."

History