The Greenwich Series: Poet’s Corner – #4 – Abigail Hattersley

Livvy Hooper continues her look at the University of Greenwich’s brightest talents; focussing her spotlight on undergraduate poets who featured in the end of year exhibition and reading; these are the ones to watch.

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Over the coming weeks I’ll be getting to know some of the best poets from the University of Greenwich’s Creative Writing poetry programmes, with interviews and excerpts from their debut poetry collections. The majority of these poets have recently finished their studies and are looking to careers in the arts, so I’ll be putting them under the microscope to find out what makes them tick, how they tock, and just why we should be keeping our eye on them.

SPOTLIGHT: ABIGAIL HATTERSLEY

Tell us a bit about yourself 
I’m Abigail Hattersley, recently turned 21, born and raised in Sheffield. I like long walks (although sun is a rarity on the moors) Dr Martens and, of course, poetry. My ideal man would have the voice of Bob Dylan, the style of John Cooper Clark, and the looks of Jared Letto (I’m not asking for much!) I moved to London for university and to experience life away from Steel.

How did you ‘get into’ poetry?  
I wasn’t the biggest fan of secondary school, but literature was exciting for me. I used to write short stories and sneak them into the literature staff room at lunch time – the teachers soon got the hint and asked me to attend a performance poetry evening where I came second; I was the only student and a teacher came first! I started the evening with a joke; “the ice cream man was found dead covered in hundreds and thousands… the police say he topped himself!” It got an awkward laugh and from then on I was addicted. I loved that a poem allowed me to explore my feelings and others’, and I loved that it could make people laugh or cry with just a comma to separate emotions. For me, poetry was an easier, more beautiful way to talk.

So tell us about the collection of poetry you created in your final year – what’s it all about?
Truntlements of Tresh focuses on the Yorkshire dialect, discovering new words and phrases with unique historical background. The collection, complete with a three page glossary, explores belonging and place.

Your collection focuses on locations that are clearly of importance to you – what impact has place had on you and your writing?
Place is the driving point of my collection. Childhood and teenage memories all involve place, be it places of happiness or places of destruction. The dramatic scenery of my hometown is reflected in the wide range of emotions in each poem. From the moors to the industrial parks of Sheffield, each place represents a different memory and new connotations. Place is character to me, and like writing a novel, you have to know that character inside and out.

You also explore the boundaries and implications of local dialect and language – how has moving to London from Sheffield affected your writing, if at all?
Ironically moving to London has allowed me to explore Yorkshire dialect in more depth than I feel I could have staying in Sheffield. Listening to the complex language at home, I take it for granted, I nod and pretend I understand. Moving to London I noticed the reactions people had to some local dialect that I could remember. They found it funny and wanted to know more, so I learnt more. My poetry and the dialect is as new to me as it is to people from outside of Yorkshire, and if I can make people happy from saying ‘Ey up’ instead of ‘Hello’ I will. However implications and boundaries were prominent within my writing; my accent is not as strong as I would want the poetry to be performed in, although I have a wide range of understanding, so to see my poetry performed by someone with Yorkshire Grit would be very exciting. Boundaries of my work included audience, pronunciation and limitations of what I could say and how I could say it.

How does it feel to have written a full collection of poetry? 
Writing a full collection of poetry was exhausting, editing and re-editing. Even now it’s printed I am not completely happy with my work. As Paul Valery said “A poem is never finished, only abandoned”. As a physical object to enjoy however, it’s an achievement I will always be proud of.

Where do you find your inspiration when writing? 
Specifically regarding my collection, inspiration came from family and my heritage. However, inspiration for me comes from everything. Although I could be cliché and say listening to Bob Dylan or sitting in a park with a pen and paper, inspiration can just as easily come from overhearing a conversation, falling over, a birth, a death and even sitting on the toilet looking at the back of a door (that one is true!).

What is it about poetry that works for you as a creative output?
Poetry has no limitations of what it can represent. It can mean one thing to one person and another thing to someone else. Therefore you can write down your deepest and darkest secrets and no one could even know. I remember reading Paradise Lost at school; each line I analysed over and over again, I was amazed that a poem could be so long for a start, and so complex. For a reader poetry can be boring and confusing or it can be what they have always felt, a weird psychoanalysis of themselves. So I suppose that’s what I love, it’s like a free therapist session that you can control.

Who or what are your biggest influences? 
My influences come from all types of media. Sean Durkin’s film Martha Marcy May Marlene is one of my largest biggest when it comes to writing. His screenplay is simple and short. Each word is necessary and if it not needed it’s not included. Modernist poet Bunting wrote ‘cut out every word you dare’, and that’s probably been the most important advice I have ever stumbled upon. Poets like Jen Hadfield, Jemma Skyes and Sylvia Plath are huge inspirations, especially regarding my collection, and musicians like Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks and First Aid Kit create unbelievable and beautiful lyrics.

What’s it been like studying in the beautiful grounds of the Royal Naval College? 
As I said earlier, place to me is like a character. What could be a better character then the beauty we had on our door step?

What are your highlights from your time at the University of Greenwich? 
Except for achieving the grades and work that I have done. University is full of amazing personalities, influences and it’s the most fun I have ever had!

How does it feel to have finished university? 
It feels daunting. From a young age I had a plan: School, sixth form and then Uni. What now?

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learnt during your time at university?
Time can drag when you watch it tick. Don’t watch it and it flies. Use time wisely. Also, less philosophically, I could tell you all you need to know about the drinking game ‘ring of fire’.

What once piece of advice would you give to any would-be poet or writer? 
Write whatever you want to write. If people reject it, work on it and make them regret it.

So what’s next for you – what are your plans now you’ve finished university? Any projects we should know about?
At the moment I am using this break as a chance to relax. However poetry helps me, I am always writing it. I would like to maybe move away from dialect for a while and try something new. A new subject, influence or direction prevents boredom, and I would hate nothing more than to be bored of poetry. Regarding new projects I am open to anything. Obviously entering adulthood means jobs and a career, but I love performing my poetry and the longer I can do that the better.