When did you start writing poetry?
I started writing poetry when I experienced
a mental breakdown from the age of 24
after suppressing trauma from an abusive situation
I was in when I was 16. Poetry became an outlet,
as well as a tool to communicate with those closest
to me at a time when I struggled to have conversations.
Do you remember what your first pieces were about?
My very first poem was called ‘Unorthodox’
(now the title poem for my first collection with Verve Poetry Press)
and it was about my struggle with panic attacks.
I was having them constantly, all day and most of the night.
The second piece I wrote was called ‘I Win’
and it was the first time I wrote about my experience of abuse
when I was younger. There’s a line in the poem which
originally said “9 years may have passed”, and now when I perform it,
it says “15 years may have passed”. Looking at how far I’ve come
since the day I wrote that poem feels really powerful to me.
Why do you write poetry?
I used to write for myself, it helped me to survive
through my darkest days during the breakdown.
These days I write as much for others as myself,
to try to raise awareness on the important topics,
particularly mental health and sexual trauma.
What is your favourite thing about it?
My favourite thing about poetry, spoken word poetry
specifically, is that it makes people listen to things
they maybe wouldn’t take time to hear in regular conversation.
The art form has a way of grabbing people’s attention
and helping people to think about things
from different perspectives.
This kinda thing is how we make positive changes
within society. It also provides a relatable outlet
for people with similar experiences.
When it comes to your own work, how would you describe it?
Freestyle. I don’t like rules. I like to go off of feeling and focus
on the most captivating way to portray the message.
The poetry has always been about the message
and the meaning for me, poems just happen to be the vehicle
I use to drive the message home.
What themes inspire you?
My biggest inspiration has been personal experiences.
I struggle to write about anything without relating to it,
because that’s where I find my most raw,
honest and authentic work comes from.
Tell us a little more about your work, and what moves you.
My work has allowed me to experience other people’s
stories too, through travelling around to perform.
If the last 6-7 years or so has taught me anything,
it’s that I’m not alone in my experiences.
Mental health difficulties, domestic abuse and sexual trauma
are far too common. Which is why my second
and most recent poetry collection is called
‘Into The Ordinary’,
because I’ve come to understand that my life experiences
and responses to those experiences aren’t
out of the ordinary at all, which is how they felt
when my breakdown began.
In Leicester we are trying to unite the poetry scene, in collaboration with other poetry nights, how would you describe the leicester poetry scene, and what, in your opinion, could be improved upon?
I think the Leicester scene is fantastic,
I only have good experiences from it.
The energy the Leicester poetry nights bring
is extremely uplifting. I love the sound of Leicester
events collaborating and supporting each other,
there’s more success to be had when we build each
other up and cheering for someone else won’t hinder
our own achievements. So, I’m a strong believer in doing
so and it seems the Leicester scene does it well.
Do you have any favourite poets, both locally
and further afield that you would like to share?
On the local poetry scenes I have so many poets
I’m inspired by. Far too many to list and
I would hate to miss names out.
So, I’ll name just one
who I’ve recently been blown away by; Chloe Jacquet.
Internationally, my favourite poet is Rudy Francisco.
There is also a band called Tank and The Bangas
who are a spoken word/jazz band
and they have inspired a lot of my work
right from the start.
If people want to follow your social media where can they find you.
jemima_unspoken on Instagram and Facebook,
and my YouTube Channel is @UnorthodoxJemima
or https://youtube.com/@UnorthodoxJemima?si=IaKW9k3oUVwWKGPG
Big Difference
8th April
19:30 - 21:30
Be there, you wont be dissapointed.
Also grab both of her books from Amazon or verve publishing.
Both absolutely brilliant.
