I’m delighted to welcome poet, Zoë Sîobhan Howarth-Lowe, to Patricia’s Pen. Zoë has come along to blog about her writing which includes her competition winner with The Hedgehog Poetry Press What An Amazing Place We’ve Been To. Without further ado, it’s over to Zoë.
My Writing
Zoë Sîobhan Howarth-Lowe
I started writing when I was five. My very first poem (or so I am told by various family members) was:
Roses are red, Violets are blue, and an Apple is covered in Snow.
It was my love of words, how they tasted in my mouth and spun off the page, which led me to become a voracious reader. My earliest influences and favourites include Spike Milligan, C S Lewis, Richard Adams and Enid Blyton. I loved creating my own stories and worlds, especially ones filled with magic and fantasy.
Writing poetry became a daily occurrence for me when I was at high school. It was here that I fell in love with Emily Dickinson, Benjamin Zephaniah and Shakespeare. At college my French teacher introduced me to Jacques Prevert and I was challenged to translate some of his poetry as part of my coursework. When it was time to choose my degree subject it had to be creative writing.
I was incredibly lucky to have my first pamphlet published after winning a contest at Half Moon Books. I am sad they are no longer around but so thankful they set me on the way to find homes for more of my books with some amazing publishers.
Love is the way bark grows is a book of love poetry, not just romantic love but all kinds of love, familial, broken, friendship and even obsessive, dysfunctional love. My second book is a book of motherhood poetry. Inspired by my own children as well as all the children of my extended family.
Pocket Full of Stones is my full collection. I knew I wanted to become an indigo dreamer poet the first time I discovered their books. I still am in disbelief that my book was accepted by them! Pocket Full of Stones is a collection of poems about being the weird girl, a collection of dreams and of nightmares. It draws inspiration from all of the moments that went into becoming myself, the difficult thoughts and overwhelming feelings, that when gathered together could weigh one down, like a collection of stones in my pocket.
My newest title, What An Amazing Place We’ve Been To, is a poetry conversation inspired by a poem my son wrote when he was six. I decided to write a response to each of his stanzas and love that The Hedgehog Poetry Press selected our little book as one of the conversation winners. It arrived just in time for my son to gift a copy to his teachers when he left primary school this summer. We’re hoping to do a book launch together very soon.
About Zoë Sîobhan Howarth-Lowe
Zoë Sîobhan Howarth-Lowe is a Poet & Mum from Dukinfield. She has an MA from Bath Spa University. Zoë has four publications, a full collection: ‘Pocket Full of Stones’ with Indigo Dreams Press and three pamphlets: ‘Love is the way bark grows’ (Half Moon Books), ‘I have grown two hearts’ & a collaboration with her young son – ‘What an amazing place we’ve been too’ (both with Hedgehog Poetry Press).
Zoë’s work has appeared in many anthologies and journals & She enjoys attending spoken word events as often as Motherhood allows her.
Links
Facebook
Zoë’s books can be ordered via her website.
Patricia M Osborne 