Philippa Bowe, London Independent Story Prize 2024 2nd Competition Poetry Finalist 'Duck Egg Sky'

London Independent Story Prize 2024 2nd Competition Poetry Finalist 'Duck Egg Sky' by Philippa Bowe

- Can you please tell us about you and your daily life?

It tends to be a juggling act between writing and translating. As a freelancer translator, I’m at the mercy of clients and deadlines most days – it’s the price you pay for independence! Obviously there’s some overlap between the two, although during very intense work periods I can feel like translating has sapped all my ‘word’ energy and I have none left for my creative work. But the delight of creating my own words compared to the need to adhere to someone else’s, that wonderful sense of freedom, never palls.

- When and how did you get into writing?

I’ve always had a love of writing – as a small child I once won a prize for a story – but from teenagerhood on I was totally in the thrall of imposter syndrome – how could I dare to put myself on the same level as all those astonishing writers I read? It wasn’t until I got to my 40s and signed up for an Open University creative writing course that I shrugged it off and began writing. I haven’t stopped since. I’ve discovered the wonders of flash fiction and poetry – fallen head over heels in love with them – and have had work published online and in print (including by Ghost City Press, Spark2Flame, New Flash Fiction Review, Reflex Fiction, Bath Flash Fiction and Firewords) as well as longlisted and shortlisted in various competitions. And I’m very near the end of the first draft of an ekphrastic novella in flash based on Nighthawks, the iconic painting by Edward Hopper.

 - How often do you write? Do you have a writing routine? And what inspires you to write?

Every day. Even if I have to squeeze it into the tiny space of maybe 15 minutes. Because I don’t feel quite right in my skin if I haven’t at least got a few lines down. I used to write in the evenings, after everything else – kids, work, admin, etc. etc. – was done. But my energy has shifted and I’ve become a morning person. My wake-up routine now is: get up, wander outside for a bit (I’m lucky to live on a rural hilltop in the middle of nowhere), do some yoga and write. And everything inspires me: dreams, songs on the radio, nature, strange words that crop up – everything and anything! I note it all down in my writing journal – I like to write everything by hand before moving over to the laptop so I get through a shedload of journals – and right there is another delicious aspect of being a writer: you get to spend time in fabulous stationary shops picking out new journals.

- How does it feel to have your work recognised?

It’s a total dopamine rush, there’s nothing like it! When it happens it’s a moment to be cherished. But I try not to forget that it’s just one side of the writing life coin; the other is made up of rejections and resounding silences. You have to find a way to celebrate the highs and accept the lows, to keep your focus on the joy of creating without getting obsessed by external validation.

- What's the best and most challenging thing about writing Poetry? 

There’s that sense of graft, of sitting and down and doing the work. And it’s a challenge overcoming the million and one distractions, all the stuff that suddenly seems so important and has to be done before you write. Then when you do get to the page, there’s the challenge of ignoring the voice of the inner editor, the little devil perched on your shoulder. Finally, once you’re in the flow, you reach that most wonderful place, the creative high, where you’re being swept along by the current of your story or poem. It gives me such a high – if I write a lot just before going to bed it's hard to get to sleep. 

-  How did you develop the idea for your LISP-selected poem? Is there a story behind your poem? And, how long have you been working on it?

There isn’t a story behind it, more of a random inspiration: lying in the grass watching a snail then staring at the sky. That was the springboard for a stream of consciousness process – I didn’t at all know where it was going when I started writing it. It feels to me like I sort of stand back and watch what wants to come out. I think this poem is influenced by my deep love of the natural world and by parables and by eco-anxiety – but that’s an analysis after the fact! It didn’t take long to draft, but I went back plenty of times to keep chipping away at it.

- Can you please give us a few tips about writing Poetry?

I think it’s fundamentally about finding what gives you joy, what words and stories are knocking on the door and want to be let out, listening to them rather than worrying about what you supposedly should or shouldn’t be writing. There’s an Allen Ginsberg quote I love: ‘Follow your inner moonlight, don’t hide the madness.’ So I’d say yes, follow your moonlight, have fun, play! And don’t rush, give your poem or story time to steep.

- What's the best thing and the most challenging thing about competitions? 

 The best thing: the deadline. The most challenging thing: the deadline! I find them invaluable for getting me motivated and providing prompts, structure. The downside is the pressure it can put you under. I try and find a good balance and choose the competitions I want to go for.

- Lastly, do you recommend the writers submit to LISP?

 Absolutely! It has a supportive and friendly approach, including an affordable entry fee, and a good choice of categories to enter. Then there are the interviews, the online showcase and publication in an anthology. All very positive and worth throwing your writing hat in the ring for!