What can you tell us about this poem?
Lunar New Year tells the story of a first date. If anyone’s concerned, I promise I don’t write about every first date I go on… but maybe heed this as a warning to never ghost a poet.
What poets and poems are you in dialogue with?
Seán Hewitt writes poetry and prose that feels like watching dappled sunlight in the breeze. My favourite poem of his is Wild Garlic – I think of it every time I walk through the woods in spring.
Whenever I need cheering up, I turn to Harry Baker and his poetry podcast Something Borrowed. Few other poets capture the absurdities and small wonders of adulthood in such a funny and heartfelt way.
I recently stumbled across My Gender is the Undoing of Gender by Andrea Gibson and it was one of those moments where I realised that they have articulated so much of what I’ve been trying to find within myself and my own work. It was a release, in a way. I don’t need to write a poem about it – Andrea has done that for me.
What is your writing practice?
I find that an idea has to come to me of its own volition, I can’t sit down in front of my laptop and will it to happen. Usually, I’ll be in the park or on my way to the supermarket when something will float into my head and I’ll have to scramble for my notes app or leave myself a voice note for later.
Having said that… I’m part of a London-based writing community called Word Space. We run frequent poetry workshops and open mics, which often involve prompt-based writing time. Sometimes this yields ideas for me, sometimes it doesn’t. That’s the beauty of it. What is perhaps most precious about these moments though is being surrounded by other poets and really listening to them, giving them your full attention. So much of poetry is about connection, and besides, someone may say something that might return as inspiration later when I’m heading to Sainsbury’s for a Kinder Bueno.
What poem do you wish you’d written?
There are so many, but one that immediately comes to mind is Courgettes by Andrew Dennison. It sings on the page and reminds me of my mum’s garden.
What’s on your bedside table? Books etc?
My bedside table is really just my bedroom floor, which is currently strewn with various things, including: Heartstopper Volume 6, The Last Lesbian Bar in the Midlands by Cleo Henry, empty paracetamol packets, paper party hats, a single can of Guinness, and pens that may or may not work. If my mum is reading this, she’ll be disappointed, yet unsurprised by my incessant inability to grow out of being messy.