Interview Q&A with Kia Jones
We offer our first and exclusive Q&A Interview with Kia Jones, a writer whose multiple literary works have been featured on our Spillwords pages as well as being Author of the Month of December, 2016. Kia Jones is a writer that combines human emotion and deep convictions in every piece. Her poetry is thought provoking and is sure to inspire you.
- Please tell us a little about yourself and your background?
Hello, my name is Kia Jones. I’m a mother to five and a grandmother to six. I was born in London to an English woman and an Austrian man sometime towards the end of the sixties. At the age of 8, we moved to rural Ireland. My home life had always been aggressive, but the abuse took a turn for the worst in the quiet, foreign isolation of the Irish countryside. At the age of 13, my family was completely broken and I eagerly left home. I spent the next 3 years living off my wits, sleeping rough and hitch-hiking around Ireland. At the age of 17, I had the first of my five children, I then moved to Bristol, UK. Unaware of any emotional problems I had, l found mainstream life extremely hard, the world to me was a hostile place and the people in it were not to be trusted. At 27, however, I met my handsome, patient, prince charming, we got married, sold everything we had and went traveling. Now at the age of 47, much older and an awful lot calmer, I have learnt a lot about me and the rest of the world. We still travel but now days I’m not running from my own demons.
- What has influenced your writing style?
I don’t actually know who or what influences my writing style.
- What inspires you to write?
Curiosity is what inspires me to write, I never know what’s coming next!
- When did you realize you wanted to write?
I knew I wanted to write about three years ago. At the age of about 44, I was diagnosed with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I had a complete meltdown and spent six months trapped in my bedroom by my own mind. Following months of therapy etc., with no sign of improvement something became clear to me, I realised the only person that could help me was me, I picked up a pen and haven’t put it down since. With every word that I wrote down, my head, heart and soul felt lighter.
- Tell us a little bit about your writing process?
My writing process is simple, my poems come in twos, I hear the first complete line or the very last word of a poem somewhere in my mind, once it’s there it gets louder and louder until I write it down. It takes about 20 mins to write one, once it’s flowing, it flows.
- What would you say is most fulfilling about writing?
The most fulfilling thing for me when I write is the condensing of sometimes, years and maybe a hundred memories into a few lines of rhyme. The second thing I like is the shape of the poem the words create.
- Does the addition of imagery help to tell your story?
I think imagery is good although I don’t think it is overly necessary, having said that, a large percentage of people have difficulty building actual imagery in their minds, so would probably appreciate the pictures and those that can build it, will happily do so anyway.
- What do you most enjoy reading?
I used to enjoy reading all sorts, I’ve read all of Catherine Cookson’s books, I love a good triumph over tragedy! I don’t really read a lot anymore as I spend most of my time writing and reading my own stuff now days!
- Is there a poet or a writer that has influenced you? If so, in what way?
When I was very young, I remember reading a poem called “George” it was written by, Hilaire Belloc. It was in a book of poems and it was the only one that grabbed me and has stuck with me, I think it’s my favourite piece of writing to date. Whether or not he influences me, I’m not sure. Maybe he has in a straight talking, mean what you say sort of way.
- What are your ambitions as a writer?
Streaming unending rivers of words until I’m too old to care anymore and finding an agent who loves my work, is of course my writing goal! I have just finished my first children’s book, Molly Bee, The incredibly short, highly spirited immortal guardian to the honey bees and their keepers. I have not written anything like it before, 53,000 words is a bit different to a poem, however, I loved writing it and can’t wait to get started on my next book.
Writing saved my mind 🙂
- That One Big Break - January 11, 2019
- Stop! - December 11, 2017
- DO I LOOK FAT IN THIS?? - November 13, 2017
