Solli Raphael is an award-winning author, poet, advocate, acclaimed keynote speaker, former ambassador to many charities and non-profits, and a founder and director of two organisations.
Solli has led workshops, performed, and spoken at hundreds of events; on six continents and across over 150 countries. From primary school students to aged-care residents, community projects to Fortune 500s, he has worked with people of all ages, career statuses and life circumstances to break limiting barriers, enhance connection and collaboration, and fast-track radical change.
Named an icon of 21st-century poetry, Solli has broken barriers in making poetry more accessible and relatable for everyone. His poetry has racked up critical acclaim and awards, been featured in university textbooks and documentaries, and on over 50 radio and TV appearances. Solli's poetry and poetry performances have been seen by A-list celebrities, global CEOs, multiple prime ministers, members of the Royal Family, and a quarter of the global population.
Solli has authored three books of his own, which have received accolades for their capacity to engage children and teenagers in poetry and social concerns. His debut book Limelight, and his second book, Spotlight, were published in 2018 and 2020, respectively. Shortly after publication in North America in 2019, Limelight won a prestigious Nautilus Book Award for contributing to social change. His latest book is 29 Things You Didn't Know About Me.
Solli is also the founder and director of Earth Enablers; an inclusive environmental conservation organisation aimed at creating a future of equality, transparency, and sustainability; World Of Poetry; a collective designed to amplify the voices of poets; and the creator of The Best Part; a social movement utilising the power of words to spread positivity.
Talking Points
Poetry Performance
Solli Raphael’s performances are known for delivering mind-bending and paradigm-shifting moments that help take events to the next level. His brand new collection of poetry performances are more immersive, engaging and inspiring than ever before. Crafted specifically for different events, there is a poem for every theme, mood and audience. Solli's current poetry collection is outlined below:Poetry Performance
Poem title: Dystopia
Presentation length: 6 minutes
Bio: Studies estimate that approximately 90% of our thoughts, decisions, and actions are subconscious. Furthering that percentile, 80% of subconscious thoughts are negative. Multi-award-winning poet and performer Solli Raphael interprets cognition through a conceptually abstract, theatrically engaging, and creatively enigmatic performance. His piece delves beyond the boundaries of the human mind before guiding your audience to the event ahead. Dystopia is the perfect fit for a bold and artistic opening to your event.
Poem title: Perspective for a Paradigm Shift
Presentation length: 5 minutes 30 seconds
Bio: Solli Raphael believes there are many ways to approach challenges, and that perspective helps us best respond to change and the opportunities to change. Both composed and passionately spoken, Perspective for a Paradigm Shift is perfect as an interlude between keynotes or to diversify a session by providing your audience with a thought-provoking presentation, sharing the important message that we achieve our best results when we are open, flexible and adaptive.
Poem title: Dragonfly in the Dark
Presentation length: 5 minutes 30 seconds
Bio: In his moving and powerful piece, Solli Raphael will take your audience on a journey from start to finish, utilising energy and light to represent our inherent ability to push past limitations and overcome challenges. Dragonfly in the Dark is perfect as a closing performance, inspiring your audience to strive for success.
Poem title: Untitled
Presentation length: 5 minutes 30 seconds
Bio: Untitled is Solli's most personal piece. This piece is unrefined and structurally transient to reflect Solli's story and the journeys other young people experience in finding a sense of self and identity. Untitled encompasses themes of individuality, identity, youth and inclusion.
Poem title: Youth
Presentation length: 4 minutes
Bio: Youth dives into the very meaning of youth, what it means to be young, and finding oneself as a young person. This piece shares the message that youth is more than a stressful period through teenagehood and young adulthood. Being young and youthful is an essence and a state of mind that we can harness at any stage of our lives and embrace. Youth is best suited for events centred around young people.
Poem title: The Power of Poetry Proceeds Beyond the Page
Presentation length: 2 minutes 30 seconds
Bio: In this piece, Solli Raphael explores the power of poetry and beyond: looking at the definition of poetry as a product of human interpretation and its ability to amplify communication, reflect trends, and capture moments; beyond poetry itself to the impact art has on society and the way humanity progresses; and the importance of words in our lives. The Power of Poetry Proceeds Beyond the Page is best suited for events centred around education, English, literacy and art.
Keynote: Utilising the Value of Words
The lives we lead are built upon words. We communicate thousands of words daily, and the amount we tell ourselves is up to ten times what we externalise. The sheer number of words we take in can double that number again. Because this constant transaction of words strongly influences our beliefs and actions, taking control and utilising our external and internal dialogue is essential.Keynote: Utilising the Value of Words
Solli Raphael will guide you through his journey of how words became his life, and the influence words have in our lives, what we can learn from that, and how we can better utilise words to supercharge productivity and motivation, break limiting barriers, stereotypes and beliefs, enhance connection and collaboration, fast-track change, and help those around to achieve the same.
Video
Solli Raphael | Saxton Speakers
Crowned youngest ever Australian Poetry Slam champion at only 12-years-old and successfully publishing his first book, Limelight, Solli Raphael is a budding humanitarian and environmental conservationist who uses original work to instigate conversations about issues that affect future generations.We Can Be More - a 13-year-old poet's campaign to save the world | Solli Raphael | TEDxSydney
3-year-old poet, Solli Raphael asks "what kind of human are you, what kind am I?" Solli's unique and emotive poetry aims to explore human action towards environmental sustainability. Embracing ideas to encourage less landfill waste and man-made pollution, Solli's poem hopes to bring people together on a "We Can be More" mini campaign in his 3-minute fight to save the world. At just 13 years old, home-schooled Solli Raphael won the 2017-18 National Australian Poetry Slam Championship title against an all-adult competition at the Sydney Opera House, holding the title for the youngest ever winner! Solli thrives on challenges such as raising awareness for important social and global issues and considers himself a budding humanitarian & an enthusiastic environmentalist. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.Thank you so much for helping us connect with Solli. We're so much more inspired to write poetry now; staff included. The students can take a lot from their conversation with Solli. On a per ... keep reading Mount St. Johns Primary School
Solli's presentation was wonderful and so engaging for our students. He connected with students who love poetry and writing, as well as those who need encouragement to write. What the students produced in the session was amazing. What an inspiration! Thank you Solli.
