Mark Mace Smith might have lost the love of his life but in telling us about it he was able to persuade the judges to  crown him the new Commonword Superhero of Slam after last night's exciting grand final in Manchester in which each of the top four contestants was separated by just a single point, making for a dramatic last round. Awarded the prestigious Dike Omeje trophy - and 250 quid - by Commonword director, Pete Kalu, Mark, pictured left, observed that he had slammed with the late, and much-missed, Dike, and found him impossible to beat. So great a slam poet was Dike, that Pete had had to ban him from entering, just to give other poets a chance.

Mark is a very experienced slam poet and it certainly showed, with his commanding onstage presence giving him the edge, just, over his rivals, including a sizzling second-place Rael James.

The state of performance poetry in this country was shown to be in rude health as each of the contestants demonstrated carefully created and constructed writing, with vernacular verve vivdly protrayed, rapt attention for rap poetry, sizzling soliloquies sending shivers, considered confessionals causing the crowd consternation - this was a wonderful evening, a culmination of other wonderful evenings at  heats across the north, not least the Write Out Loud one in Wigan won by Louise Fazackerley but not forgetting those other runners-up: Aidan Clarke who travelled all the way from the north-east for the final, Emma Purshouse, Gift Niony and Zodwa Niony.

And a special award should go to Dominic Berry for stepping in to the compering breach at the last minute and doing such a stunning job of it. Fabulosa, Dominic.

If you fancy developing your skills as a slam or performance poet, there are two places left on the Arvon/Write Out Loud one-week residential course for open mic poets. That's called a shameless plug.

Photograph: Julian Jordon