Founded in 2003 by Steve Larkin and Jim Thomas, Hammer and Tongue first brought slam poetry to the crowds of Oxford. Since then it has gone on to open chapters in Bristol, Brighton, London, and Cambridge. Since October, Hammer and Tongue have been hosting heats at the Old Fire Station, pitting volunteer poets against each other with scores from audience judges determining the winner. Last night’s final saw eight of these battle it out to be crowned Oxford Hammer and Tongue Champion: Eric Coffin Gould, Dan Holloway, Davy Mac, Micah Isser, Anna Percy, Jen Russell, Stewart Taylor, and Kate Walton.

The finalists were extremely varied in style, leaving the decision-making subject to the whims of the audience judges. From Anna Percy’s gutsy feminist poetry, exemplified by her first poem, ‘The Woman who was all used up’ in which the protagonist dismantles each part of her body that could be objectified, leaving only ‘the ignored brain’, to Jen Russell’s kaleidoscopic representation of Glasgow’s western arcade.

Micah Isser narrowly missed out on being in the top two by going overtime in his first absurdist poem, leaving reigning champion Davy Mac and Stewart Taylor to battle it out for the title. Their styles could not be more different. Stewart Taylor won over his audience earlier by exalting first world problems while Davy Mac wooed them with a homeless oratorio. In the final battle, Mac chose a poem defending 18-20 year olds who cannot get housing benefits, while Taylor’s began: ‘do not mock the clog’. Whereas Mac’s poetry quietly defends the defenceless and wrestles with the injustices of today, Taylor satisfies himself with empty puns, stage gimmicks, and over-gesticulation. In the end, humour won out, with Taylor crowned winner.

The featured poet of the evening was the excellent Tim Clare, who bounded on stage with the energy of an untamed puppy. He created linguistic magic with poems such as the ‘Noah’s Ark and Grill’, an imaginary restaurant in which Clare wants to serve every kind of meat: ‘gorilla in the mystery meat / free willies in the pie.’ Clare is a master at employing punitive line-breaks for humourous effect and is an excellent rapper, as demonstrated in his mash-up reaction to three small-circulation magazines: Norfolk Brides, Small Furry Pets, and Tree News. Unexpected and vivid, his set was an undoubted highlight of the evening.

For 2012, Hammer and Tongue has a new venue, the Crisis Skylight Cafe in the new arts development at Old Fire Station, and whilst I loved the bohemian atmosphere of the Old Boot Factory, I have to say that for those of us who live out of town and rely on buses, or just those of us whose legs aren't as young as they used to be, the new location is fabulous, as is the cafe itself, which comfortably holds 70-80, has friendly staff, and supports a fabulous cause.

Hammer and Tongue is always notable for its friendliness, and last night it seemed more welcoming than ever, the fabulous hosting duo of Tina Sederhom and Lucy Ayrton (both of them poets and performers of exceptional prowess as well as marvellous MCs) on wonderful front of house form so newcomers to poetry slams and the oldest of hands felt equally welcome.

In addition to the excellent slam, personal highlights of which were Hannah Elwick's achingly moving performance (in her first ever reading, no less - watch this space!!), Paul Askew's delightfully surreal fabulism, and Davy Mac's unflinchingly honest heartbreaking poems about homelessness, the night's support act was the delightfully sui generis Johnny Fluffypunk, hilarious and insightful self-styled pastoral anarchist and one of the loveliest people you will meet in the already lovely world of poetry.

But the night belonged to the stellar headline act, Anna Freeman, one of the tiniest of tiny handfuls of poets to combine words that bear many rereading/listenings, efforless and engaging flow, and an emotional intensity and honesty that digs right inside your skin and your soul. She also does what so so few do, and moves effortlessly from the soul's darkest nights to hilarity and back again without the slightest cracks appearing. Go to see her any place you can.