Belinda Rimmer

Belinda Rimmer Bio:

Work:

I first trained as a psychiatric nurse and worked with troubled teenagers both in NHS settings and as a school counsellor. I have also worked as a dance development officer, performance arts lecturer and creative arts practitioner in schools, theatres and for the Arts Council.

Poetry:

I have been published widely in magazines, on-line journals and anthologies. In 2017, I won the Poetry in Motion Competition to turn my poem into a film, since shown Internationally. In April 2018, I supported Gill McEvoy at Cheltenham Poetry Festival.

Other highlights include, shortlisted for Poem of the Month in Ink, Sweat & Tears; undertaking a collaboration with Wildlife Photographer of the Year finalist (published with Whole Terrain) and second place in the Ambit Poetry Competition, 2018, with a reading at Tate Modern.

My biggest achievement is being awarded joint winner in the 2018 Indigo Dreams First Pamphlet Competition. My pamphlet, Touching Sharks in Monaco, will be published later this year.

I have an MA in Fine and Media Arts, University of Gloucestershire (1998), and a PhD in Women’s Voices in Contemporary Poetry, MMU (2007). Both are practice based.

Beginnings:

I wrote teenage angst poetry (which I have since burnt!). Aged seventeen, I had a very strange poem published which was heavily influenced by my love of David Bowie. I didn’t pursue writing again until many years later.

During my MA I started adding text to my solo dance pieces. This wasn’t poetry for the page, but I guess it was a take on performance poetry. Forced to give up dance in my late forties I looked to writing as a main creative outlet.

I became increasingly interested in women’s voices in contemporary poetry and undertook a PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University. This explored the idea that certain types of poetry might be drawn from a pre verbal quality, drawing on fragments, sound, rhythm etc. I devised some ‘poems’ to illustrate my theory but they weren’t for publication. After spending seven years reading the poetry of other writers, I felt inspired to find my own poetic voice. I only started to take my poetry writing more seriously about two years ago.

Inspiration:

Curiosity or a need to make sense of the world is a driving force in my poetry. I write to connect with others, both artistically and personally, and to explore my own life – the themes of childhood and personal relationships run through my work. My most successful poems seem to be the ones that express something meaningful to me, but I always try to leave space for readers to find points of understanding too.

I draw upon both memory and forgetfulness, filling in the gaps with fiction. I like blurred edges, work that questions what is real and what is imagined, the small details that can say so much. Since a child I have often felt on the outside, at the edges of things, and this finds its way into my work. There are therapeutic benefits to poetry, but my main aim is to create something with artistic integrity. I like free-verse for the fluidity it allows. I am slowly learning more about form but rarely use it.

Nature and ecological concerns are other sources of inspiration. My poem about global warming, turned into a film by Diana Taylor, has been shown at several international poetry film festivals: Lisbon, Montreal and the Blue Danube International Film Festival.

The desire to write has gained in intensity over the past two years. It took a while for me to submit work as I feared rejection. But I’ve come to accept that this is part of the process. Some successes soften the blow.

I continually strive to explore and to improve my writing through workshops and on-line courses.

Poets I Admire:

I am excited by poets who take risks and draw upon personal experience. I admire Anne Michaels, Sharon Olds, Liz Berry, Jacob Polley, Harold Pinter, e e cummings, Walt Whitman, Pascale Petit, Carol Ann Duffy (who I always return to), Carrie Etter, Emily Dickinson and Jacqueline Saphra. Some recent favourites, Zelda Chappel, Wendy Pratt and Bryony Littlefair, all from small presses.

I especially love the hybrid work of Tania Hershman.

We are very lucky to have so many inspirational local poets too.

Thoughts on the Poetry World:

I believe poetry is in a very healthy state. There are plenty of opportunities in Gloucestershire to share poetry. I attend Buzzwords (it took me several months to build up the courage to read) and Poetry Cafe Refreshed.

Cheltenham Poetry Festival is wonderful and brings so many poets to the town. Gloucester is doing great things too. I hope that in a small way I am contributing something to this rich and creative atmosphere.

You can find out more about Belinda on her website or following her on twitter at @belrimmer