The Savannah Spoken Word Festival was founded in 2005 by Ralph "RenaZance" Dillard and Clinton D. Powell, Co-founders of the Spitfire Poetry Group.   The event was begun as a way to honor National Poetry Month and also highlight the growing culture of Spoken Word poetry and display it to new and familiar audiences. The Savannah Spoken Word Festival continued for 6 years as a weekend filled with open mics, poetry slams, and artist showcases. On January 2, 2011, the city of Savannah, Georgia, lost one of its strongest advocates for the creative arts with the death of 42-year-old poet and theatre director Clinton D. Powell. Because of this, the festival was unheard of for two years but never forgotten. So with the backing of the Performing Arts Collective of Savannah, Spitfire Poetry Group, along with great literary organizations like Way Of Real Discovery (W.O.R.D), SeerSucker Live, and others have come together to bring back this wonderful festival. The SSWF will offer a fresh look at one of the city’s best kept secrets, as well as highlight the hard work of those keeping the craft alive. The Savannah Spoken Word Festival is on track to becoming a premiere festival in the Coastal Empire and plans on entertaining and educating the world about the art of spoken word.