Sophie Bowns

1, Tell us about you, and your writing (themes, influences etc.)

Hi Katie. I’m 25 and live in Cumbria. I’ve previously completed two years of student nurse training, but hated it so I left and moved back home and worked as a carer. I’m currently an Exam invigilator and I’m training to be a secondary school teaching assistant. I love it, no two days are ever the same, and there is never a dull moment.

I adore writing poetry. It’s something that I feel really passionate about. I always strive to wrtie poetry that evokes a thought process or an emotion within the reader. I love the work of Stephen King, Charlotte Bronte. In terms of poetry influences, I always try and read lots of work by other poets.

2, What are some of the ways in which you promote your work, and do you find these add, or eat into, your time writing?

I post regularly on Instagram. For me, putting my poems on there is the best way to get them read. I also post the Instagram links on there. You can find me on both @SE_Bownsfiction

3, What projects are you working on at present?

I’ve been asked to be a part of a wonderful poetry anthology called ‘Luminance’ which will be available on Amazon as an ebook next month.

4, What does poetry mean to you?

Poetry means a great deal to me. It’s rare that a day passes without me writing something. I strive to write poetry that evokes an emotion within my readers or makes them think. I am always trying to read work by as many poets as possible. It’s important that we support each other, especially with the awful new Instagram algorithm. I am determined to beat it.

This unique book brings together a collection of amazing and diverse poets who shine a light of words on a world gone wrong.
While global warming, poverty, homelessness, the refugee crisis and warfare dominate world news, the poets of LUMINANCE turn a spotlight on the frailty and hope of humanity.
The writers include a 32-year-old mum of four, a 16-year-old school student, a haiku writer, a freedom fighter, a 62-year-old grandfather, a modern day minstrel, a novelist and a self-proclaimed ‘mystic’.
Their poetry is breath-taking in its style, its range and its subject matter, falling nimbly into the categories: Darkness and Light, Heaven and Hell, Love and Theft, and War and Peace.
Most of the writers have, until now, only seen their work published on social media.
This family of contributors live and work 11,000 miles apart, across 18 time zones, in Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Palestine, Japan, England, Scotland and five different states of the USA. Their writings display the diversity of their home cities and cultures and form the unique nature of the book.
Retired newspaper and magazine editor Nic Outterside from England, is the publisher of LUMINANCE.
“I have edited many publications over the years,” says Nic, “But none has been as challenging and exciting as this.
“I was lucky to have so many amazingly talented people contributing to this hugely diverse project.
“Their writing alone is breath-taking, but it doesn’t stop there… they were all brimming with ideas about the book, its publicity and ways to reach more readers than I ever believed possible.
“And we all hope you enjoy and share their end result… we think it has all been worthwhile.”
The writers of LUMINANCE are:
Anjali Love (Melbourne)
Annabel James (Oklahoma)
Austie Baird (Oregon)
Bridgford Hashimoko (Tokyo)
Brotibir Roy (Dhaka)
Hanalee (Arizona)
Heather Matthews (Ontario)
Joseph Nichols (Kentucky)
Megan Taylor (Inverness)
Nic Outterside (Wolverhampton)
Sophie Bowns (Ulverston)
Troy Turner (Los Angeles)
Zanita (Gaza)