This is something I’ve been sitting on for a while: Hillfire Anthology, Vol. II is finally out!
Hillfire Press Edinburgh is a collective of writers, publishers, designers and team players. We find our roots in the Creative Writing, MSc. at the University of Edinburgh. Though we’ve scattered across the globe since graduation, we remain dedicated to each other, the art and practice of writing, and creating space for words that set the room ablaze.
As with our first volume, this anthology is a labor of love and is extra special to me because it marks my first poem publication. I’ve been waiting for almost a year now to share “Potsherds: A Poem, in Two Parts” with y’all… Who knew being a published writer would involve so much waiting to share what you’ve written??
We’ve already officially released the anthology, which you can purchase here, and had an in-person launch event in Edinburgh, which went amazingly! Thank you to everyone who showed up and has supported us so far. For our writers and readers who couldn’t make it to Edinburgh, we’re having an online launch event next Saturday, July 8 at 3pm EST.
I’ll be reading my piece alongside a handful of the writers also featured in our second volume, and there will be a time for Q&A. I highly encourage you to mark your calendars and join us!
Just for fun (and to whet your curiosity, I hope!), I thought I’d share my preparation process for reading my work at an event like a book launch. Because here’s the reality, dear writers: reading your work to others—whether for feedback, promo, or otherwise—is as big a part of being a writer as the writing itself.
Step 1: Spend time with your piece.
I wrote “Potsherds: A Poem, in Two Parts” last summer, during a very different season of life (and while living on a completely different continent). It underwent months of revisions, feedback, and workshopping (including changing the title at least a dozen times). Once finalized, I didn’t even look at it for at least two months.
Pulling up the document containing this poem was an experience in itself. I knew that to truly share this poem with others, I would have to let it take me back to its place and moment of inspiration. All elements of it. The heat of the Botswana sun. The emotional turmoil. The exhaustion and desperate hope. The pain and the love.
So I took some time with my poem. I literally sat with it. I let the words do their work of bringing back to the surface all those raw thoughts and feelings that led me to write the piece in the first place. I allowed the rhythms and punctuations and pauses and breaths to return. I felt them settle into my chest, my hands, my fingers, the corners of my eyes.
And then I got to work.
Step 2a: Get performance ready (the philosophy).
Not to stir up your stage fright, but reading your written work for an audience is a performance. You can see this most clearly in spoken word artists who adopt a certain voice or posture when they perform their pieces, but the truth is that every piece has a voice that you wrote into it. One of the reasons we spend time with our work is so we can revive and embody that voice.
Some events (like our upcoming launch) include Q&A time with the author. Questions you will almost inevitably get (and therefore it’s wise to think about) include:
- What’s the inspiration behind your piece? (The impetus)
- Why/when did you start writing? (The dream)
- What do you hope people learn/understand/feel after reading your piece? (The message)
Step 2b: Get performance ready (the logistics).
On a very technical note, here are a few logistics I consider when prepping to read my work.
- Medium. Literally: what are you reading from? Phone or computer screen? Make sure the font is big enough for you to see, your battery is charged up for the event, and you’ve practiced scrolling. I always try to print out my piece. Paper doesn’t suddenly die two minutes before you step onto stage. It also gives me space to leave little notes of encouragement or technique reminders in the margins.
- Time. Whether it’s an open mic night or a book launch, you’ll almost always have a time limit. Make sure you know it and practice accordingly. It’s better to read fewer words so you can take your time (we tend to talk faster and less clearly when nervous), rather than try to cram in too much. Go for clarity, rather than quantity.
- Location. Are you online? In a bookstore? At the pub? Get familiar with your performance space as best you can. Work out the kinks. Will you be standing? Sitting? How are you most comfortable and therefore best able to deliver your piece to the audience? If doing a virtual reading, test out your audio and visual systems; you want little background noise and simple backdrops so viewers can focus on your words without being distracted. I always figure out a way to sit comfortably so I can breathe deeply, and the camera can’t see if my hands are shaking.
- FORMATTING. This is a pro-tip I’ve learned over the course of a few readings: the piece you publish and the piece you read do not need to be identical. Some words work great on the page but trip us up when we read. Some lines (especially dialogue) make sense when we can see them but easily lose us when we’re just listening. Formatting doesn’t matter at a reading because your audience can’t see the page; arrange the words, line breaks, paragraph markers, etc. however you need to make the listening experience smooth and true to the story you want to tell.
Step 3: Read, read, read.
Practice doesn’t always make perfect, but it sure helps get the nerves out. Reading your piece aloud is very important for prepping. Reading it aloud to someone else is even better. Admittedly, I haven’t shared this poem using my own voice with anyone yet—on my list for this weekend is sitting down my family and subjecting them to approximately three minutes of Poetic Me. The thought is a bit terrifying—especially because of the vulnerable season from which this poem comes—but writing is about being brave, in many ways, so here we go.
Step 4: Have fun!
Remember that people show up to these events because they want to hear what you have to share. Take a deep breath, trust yourself as a writer and a reader, and just go for it. If you mess up, smile and move on. I’ll never forget during our online launch of Hillfire Anthology, Volume I, the words “the linoleum” turned my tongue into a jumble of rubber bands while I was reading. But I kept going and I had a great time.
Try to enjoy the experience as a whole, and keep your eyes open for that moment when your words set the room on fire. It’s truly a sight to behold.
See y’all next week for our launch! Support our independent press by purchasing a copy of our second anthology, available now. (If you’re Stateside, send me a message so we can bulk ship them overseas, please. I also have a few discounted copies available, so get in touch quick!)
Martha
Katie
Cheryl
Katie