About Cora (in her own words)

You have caught me at an odd time in my life. After spending the best part of a decade working as a laboratory technician in Oxfordshire, I have recently moved to Bristol, begun a part-time MSc in Science Communication and gone from working in a lab to working for a charity that helps victims of crime. I’ve also gone from living alone to living with a whole bunch of twenty-somethings. I believe that life is for learning, and that only a small part of that takes place in classrooms.

What role does poetry play in your life?

Poetry, to me, has three purposes. Firstly, it’s communicative – it’s a way of exploring complex ideas and experiences and seeing things from someone else’s perspective. Secondly, it’s therapeutic – creating something beautiful out of difficult thoughts, feelings or events is like growing roses in horse sh*t. Thirdly, it’s just fun – you can write about werewolves and superheroes and obscure urban legends and still be taken seriously!

Can you mention some of your favorite books or authors?

My favourite poets are Ted Hughes (which makes me feel like a bad feminist) and Carol Ann Duffy (Who doesn’t love her? She’s the Beyoncé of British poets). My favourite fiction writers are constantly changing, but will always include Zadie Smith, Neil Gaiman and Margaret Atwood.

Do you have any personal poetry moments you’d like to share?

I’ve recently been reading Dylan Thomas for the first time, and I love the last two lines from Ears in the turrets hear. I think it perfectly captures the promise and fear of connecting with others…

“Hands of the stranger and holds of the ships,
Hold you poison or grapes?”

Dylan Thomas, ‘Ears in the turrets hear’

How to get in touch with Cora: follow her blog https://corastillwrites.wordpress.com/