Where do you live?
I am from the Midlands in the UK, a place once thriving on industry, but now, majority of us pick through the bones of what is left. It has a rich history and culture and it fills me with a lot of pride and most of the inspiration used to produce my previous publications have been born out of the ashes of a town that the world forgot.
What’s your home life like?
My home life is like anybody else’s home life, it exists around family, my wife has been a long term supporter of my work and this only enables me to continue what I’m doing.
What genre(s) do you like to write? To read?
I don’t think there is a specific genre that I would say dominates any part of the creative output, or the reading time that I so often don’t have a lot of time for anymore. My own work, I believe has a uniqueness. I don’t believe in the restriction that genre has, and this is something I have rebelled against in my own writing. For example, my poetry is raw, and reliant upon imagery and alliterative bouncy rhythms, rather than being pigeon holed into specific meters and stanzas etc...
Most recently, I have worked on a psychological fictional thriller, exploring themes such as isolation and the fragility of the human mind. Someone said to me once, do not trust the mind, he is the cruellest of all torturers and this is something that became the driving force in this particular piece of work. My last three collections of poetry have been simply that, collections of poetry from an urbanised perspective, and this is something else I have tried to break the habit of. My upcoming poetry publication, consists of one singular poem, almost like a stream of consciousness, which has enabled me to juxtapose themes and images. My intention here is to separate myself from what other writers are doing right now.
Why did you start writing?
I found school difficult. And at that time in my life, it became an outlet, a way to exorcise demons initially but this then manifested itself into a much more mindful experience where social observation begins to take precedent. I try to create snapshots of poetry from what I observe and see, in a typically working class town. It is places such as that, where the greatest stories are ever told. They might not be a New York Times best sellers, and are often spoken in the darkest corner of a pub, but they are what makes, or at least what I feel makes my work that little more real.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Writing takes a lot of my time, but education is another key passion. A place to contribute to society, and nurture interests. I am a keen musician also when I get the chance, and spent much of my younger years performing in bands. This would go on to be a pivotal point in my development as an artist, and contributed a lot of material in the early scraps of poetry which led to my first chapbook publication.
Where do you like to go when looking for a new book to read?
I like to find unrecognised voices. People in this industry are often overlooked due to the sheer weight of writers plying their trade. In my opinion, there are voices that do not go much beyond the ability to scribe with a pen, or tap the keys on a laptop. But, when you find a real gem of a writer, it emboldens you. These are the people who are suffocated, because cynical as it sounds, there are a lot of people out there calling themselves writers. I think that is why, I don’t hold much affiliation with the title Poet, or Writer. But yes, I do enjoy discovering writers, it’s an extremely important aspect of how I become inspired. On the flip side, however, I think if I had to pin point a specific area that I often find myself reading, is those Beat Generation classics from the likes of Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs; those other dirty realist characters like Bukowski and Carver.
At what point do you call it quits when reading a new book?
It’s dependent. If it doesn’t shock me, or the language lacks passion or emotion, I think then is a time to stop. Every line should dive out of the page, and consciously contribute to something. A further issue I think, is when you read a book whose characters lack soul. I don’t think they need to be redeemable, relatable or reliable, they simply need to be. And if they aren’t rounded in that way, it makes it difficult to really get your teeth into the text.
Are you independently or traditionally published?
I began independently. May be due to my impatience at that time. The system is so clogged as well. But perseverance is important and a significant factor in growing confidence and I have been traditionally published since then. I think it’s important that people recognise and I have seen this from experiencing independent publishing, and traditional publishing routes that the voice never changes, the ability to create worlds and change minds doesn’t change. They are two different routes and offer little else, more than that.
How many books/stories have you published so far?
I have been doing this for a while now, and have published three collections of poetry over roughly a period of 5 years. In that time as well as producing those collections and collaborating on collections, I have contributed regularly during that time to anthologies produced by various houses. I try to contribute some of my work to charity, and if I can help in that respect, then of course that is something I do try to do. Additionally, I have seen some of my short stories appear in publications, which is always exciting, especially when you are able to hear the opinions of people who would not be your usual demographic. It’s all about experimentation, going back to your earlier questions on genre boundaries. I try to wade through the restrictions, and instead provide people with different things. This is important as it has played a key role in the publications that are now approaching their release dates.
What book/story are you currently promoting or working on?
Like I say, I have recently finished a psychological fictional thriller and at this time it is collecting dust in a drawer before I go back and comb out any tangles. This is currently with agents and waiting on release date. And also, I have my latest work of poetry being published on the 31st August, which is compiled as a stream of urbanised consciousness. With this one, it was so important that the reader is thrown into the light but, on some occasions only a line later can be cast into darkness, as I believe it identifies with the balance that we have in typical British towns. Especially those that had once thrived and powered areas of the world like the one I find myself in. It is this unpredictability in poetry that I really do enjoy, and this is why I really pride myself on this particular piece of work.
What’s the elevator pitch?
We all at some time, have swept the dirt beneath the rug, but it’s the beauty in light that illuminates the dark holes we conceal ourselves in.
How long have you been working on it?
It has been an ongoing project, for about a year I have compiled scraps of verse and thoughts and I really wanted to texturise the concept by playing with syntax, or structure. Again, of course this adds to the unpredictability factor, but by working on scraps of paper it becomes more about discovering images, rather than creating them. Ordering ideas that exist alongside one another but not necessarily in harmony with one another enables you to really explore the English Language.
When will it be available to buy? Where?
It will be available to purchase in paperback and digitally from Amazon and other digital platforms. Or you can simply purchase any of my work at www.calibna.co.uk
How can readers find you?
I am a regular poster on Twitter, most of my updates are often found there
Anything you’d like to add?
Keep Scribbling. If you don’t live for it then don’t it.
Many thanks to Calibna J. Kerr for participating in My Laughably Inane Blog.
Sincerely,Nicholas P. AdamsJust a small-town boy with an overactive imagination.
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