#WFest Q&A with SM Jenkin

 As part of the all day #Wfest, I participated in a Q&A session, talking with Sam Fentiman-Hall about my work and what inspires it. Here is the text, in full:

SM Jenkin is a regular performer on the UK live lit scene, has performed internationally, and has been published in numerous literary anthologies and magazines. Her poetry debut full length collection ‘Fire in the head’ was published in 2018. Here is some more info about SM. (Detailed post with poetry links!) 

What sort of topics do you write about?

(SMJ) My poems are inspired by unspoken/ erased histories. For example, I wrote my poem about Anne Pratt when I found out that she was a Medway girl! She was a self-taught botanical illustrator, and she was taught at Eastgate house. Until recently there was no mention of her at all. Especially local history. It bothered me that I had been to/ past this building so many times & had no idea about her. Other poems are inspired by the beautiful landscape of Medway. I guess I write about things that I am afraid of losing, to keep them preserved in some way.

What are you working on now?

(SMJ) A chapbook with Rosemary McLeish written in response to 'the unspoken aspects of war', it covers a lot of ground. Working with Rosemary really stretched and challenged me. She’s inspired me to have courage. I’m sorry she won’t see it in print. Her work is amazing. Breathtaking honest and a timely riposte to a lot of some rather rose-tinted ideas about the war, about the empire. It's some of her most challenging work. I’m also now working on my second solo collection. I want to explore a little more about my mother’s unspoken stories and history, what it means to be a second generation Irish woman. I can be brave about it, because of women like Rosie.

What writers do you like/admire?

(SMJ) Famous ones? Dylan Thomas, Angela Carter, William Blake and WB Yeats obviously, Kate Bush, Maeve Brennan, Carol Ann Duffy and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Rosemary McLeish obv., Spreken, Setareh Ebrahimi, John Wilmot. I’ve found that attending the Confluence sessions has exposed me to many writers, and I admire their work. You’ve gathered a terrific ensemble of writers in the @Wrdsmithery publishing house.

What was the idea behind your forthcoming collaboration with Rosemary McLeish?

(SMJ) We were inspired by the number of collaborative poetry projects that are going on right now. For me it was 'one mans trash', collaboration between Spreken and Matt. We liked each others’ work, so the only question was, what to write about. As feminists, this informed our ideas, We realised how much of the reality of women's lives is forgotten or erased. There were a lot of myths milling about how wonderful “the war” was, Bulldog spirit and all that jazz. when the reality is that for civilians and women particularly was different. Many things had remained unspoken. It needed to be said. And that was our starting point.

Did you find it easy or hard to collaborate on a poetry collection with another poet?

(SMJ) Rosie was easy to work with, brave, honest and encouraging. But also not allowing me to take an easy option. All I had to do was respond to what she had written, stay within the brief and be honest. The quality and honesty of her work encouraged me out of my comfort zone. She had a real spark to her, and this can encourage you to do more than you thought possible.

What are your tips for juggling real life with poetry?

(SMJ) I find deadlines really help. I know how tricky it is to balance paid work, caring and general life with trying to also be a creative person. It’s easier to find slots of time if I can see that there is a goal to meet. I know how to ration time then. If I have a poem that’s due at the end of the month, I can then plan out slots of time to write in. It gives me an incentive. Ask yourself: Is this necessary? Also, “how does this help me"? Does it give me a chance to develop as a writer? or to get my work seen?

Details about the #WFest are available here: https://www.wordsmithery.info/wfest-2020

Here you can watch some videos of SM Jekin’s work:

MedwayMermaid https://youtu.be/twmDT99ZimI

Prisoner convention three poems Inverlair lodge (from my forthcoming collection with Rosemary McLeish. Rhiannons song (unpublished) and only a fool from Fire in the Head https://youtu.be/4nzmGlqmX8s

And you can bookmark an interview for later!

YouTube interview: Thanet writers meet SM Jenkin https://youtu.be/IbkW7x618mg

You can follow SM on social media.

Facebook (

https://www.facebook.com/SMJenkinWriter/

) , Twitter (@sajenks42), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/smjenkin42/) and Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/smjenkin)

Buy a copy of her book here: https://www.wordsmithery.info/fire-in-the-head

My books have arrived!

They have arrived! Copies of my debut collection Fire in the Head, available now to order from Wordsmithery.info

Silent Sunday

Image credit: SM Jenkin

Keep WOW in print

WOW magazine really is the best of what's on where in Kent. It's the only magazine that lets me know what is going on in and around Medway and beyond. While there may be other listings they are somewhat scattered and lack WOWs range, and the space for people to post reviews. However...

Photo: David Robinson

it's been a labour of love for Emma Dewhurst and her team since it launched in 2010. Since the Beatles don't rule the world we really do need more than love. To make it sustainable it really needs to attract some additional funds. One way that we are being invited to help is by becoming a wow subscriber - there will be other ways to help out too.

To find out more, the ‘Keep WOW in print’ Launch Event is on Sunday 8 November at Sun Pier House, Chatham (between 10am-4pm). The campaign will then be live for 30 days, until midnight on Monday 7 December.

News about the crowdfunding campaign to keep WOW in print is posted to the WOW web page at: WOW Kent Campaign 

WOW on facebook
WOW on Twitter
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Picture of WOW magazine October 2015 edition: detail wheel of fortune, medieval wall painting, Rochester Cathedral. Photo: David Robinson.

Medway Festival of Steam and Transport 2014 - it's coming!

So this Easter, there's going to be an exciting event at the historic Dockyard in Chatham

The Medway Festival of Steam & Transport will be going full steam ahead!

It sounds like an exciting mixture of retro chic, music, steam and vintage vehicles and steampunk! Yes, our very own Great Kentspectations will be taking over the Mezzanine Floor of No. 3 Slip The BIG Space. I love events like this, where people who share a variety of passions, interests, obsessions call them what you will, are able to share them with others. It's a great way of meeting new people, and having your world expanded.

More information about the events for 2014 is available online here

Have you ever been? Do you have any memories you'd like to share? Any tips for a newbie?(Do they sell beer?)

Headstone unveiled - Louis Brennan

Today, I attended a service of thanksgiving and remembrance for the life of Louis Brennan, which included the unveiling and blessing of his headstone.

Image credit: SM Jenkin

The headstone was arranged by the Louis Brennan memorial committee, and is the result of two years of determined fundraising and coordination from the group. Thank you all very much for your hard work, and for ensuring that Louis Brennan is remembered and honoured this way. Until now, Louis had been interred in an unmarked grave, in plot 2454 St Mary's Cemetary, Harrow.

I'm pleased that Louis is getting the recognition that he deserves, after having being forgotten for so long. This is part of the work we are trying to do with the Medway St Patrick's Day Parade, to celebrate the positive contributions that the Irish communities have made over the years. 

The ceremony was well attended, with many important people from the UK, Ireland and Australia. There was a tribute from An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, TD. Present also were Karen and Gene Bobrow. Karen is a distant cousin of Louis Brennan, and she had traveled over from America. Karen is doing a lot of research into her family, especially her father who had emigrated from New Jersey to the USSR in the 1930s. It's a fascinating story, and she hasn't finished unraveling it yet! I would recommend that you visit her blog Do Svidanya Dad

As Louis is a Maigh Eo (Mayo) man, please do visit their library web page for more information about his life here

Louis Brennan - Headstone unveiling March 11th 2014

You are cordially invited to the Unveiling of Headstone at the grave of Louis Brennan, Inventor Extraordinaire by Irish Prime Minister- An Taoiseach Mr Enda Kenny T.D & Cllr Noreen Heston, Mayor of Castlebar, County Mayo

The unveiling will take place in St Mary’s Cemetery, Harrow Road, London NW 10 5NY
On Tuesday March 11th at 11.30a.m.


This event will include unveiling of plaque commemoration the work of Louis Brennan at Church, St Mary’s Cemetery and a Memorial service conducted by Mgr. Canon Thomas Egan the Chief Administrator, St Mary’s Cemetery.


A reception will be held afterwards at Flannery’s Bar Wembley High Road at 2p.m. (nearest tube/train Wembley Central.) R.S.V.P by March 4thb 2014 to Email: brianhoban78@eircom.net

Louis Brennan was born in 1852 in Castlebar, Mayo, Ireland. He died in Switzerland in 1932. After spending some time in Australia, Louis spent a lot of his time in Gillingham, living in Woodlands while his factory was near the Strand.

Please click on the image to enlarge it

A tingle in my fingers ...: Rochester literature festival

A tingle in my fingers ...: Wordless Wednesday

I'm very excited about the programme of events coming up next month during the first ever Rochester literature festival.

Art exhibitions, poetrymon, plays, the heroes journey, poetry readings and work shops... and many more surprises to come.

Women in music month - in Medway!

So, this month the wonderful people at pinup payback are running Medway's first women in music month.  I am massively excited about this - Medway has had an internationally recognised thriving music scene for quite some time, but has it always been a welcoming, incusive space? How easy is it to get a chance to have a go at the fun stuff?

This month, pinup payback are running a series of free workshops, film screenings and gigs to raise the profile of women’s contribution to Medway music and widen access for girls finding their path to self expression.

So, who are pinup payback? Find out here, here and here 

 

Louis Brennan - inventor extraordinaire

Brass plaque showing one of Louis Brennan's inventions, Sapper's walk, Gillingham
Image credit: SM Jenkin

I wonder how many people who live in Gillingham know about Louis Brennan? He was a brilliant inventor who was born in Castlebar, and eventually moved to Gillingham (via Australia) to do his work.

His inventions included the dirigible torpedo, a monorail and a helicopter. Apparantly some of the money from his most famous invention paid for the alterpiece at St Mary's RC church in Ingram Road, Gillingham

I'll be investigating the information held at the Royal Engineers museum, maybe they'll have some information about his factory, that was apparantly near pier road.

Mayo libraries have an interesting  write-up about him here