Sheridan Povedano, a Gibraltarian writer who released her first collection of poems in March, speaks to us about her inspiration, how the Young Writer’s Initiative helped her put together her book Tepatoa & Olathe, and what plans she has next as she continues writing and exploring new genres.

YGTV: What does poetry, and writing poetry, represent for you?

Sheridan Povedano: It is difficult to answer this question because poetry has been in my life for almost ten years now and it feels like one more piece of furniture in the room. However, it is important that poetry is not taken for granted. I’ve spoken in the past how writing as an art form hasn’t always been easily accessible to everyone; hence, poetry represents opportunity rather than privilege as seen in periods and generations before ours.

YGTV: Which poems and poets have meant the most to you and how have they informed your literary sensibility?

Sheridan Povedano: I will say that the first poems that moved me when I was a teenager were Maura Dooley’s ‘Letters from Yorkshire’ as well as ‘Medusa’ by Carol Ann Duffy. I studied them both in school and every time I read them they made me want to write poetry myself. I say the same about Seamus Heaney’s collection of poems ‘North’ which inevitably brings me back to writing. While studying toward my Bachelor of Arts in English I studied the classics in English Literature, some of my favourite are: Augustan poet Alexander Pope and the Restoration poet John Milton. This is also the case with the unforgettable ‘Sonnets’ by John Donne where he transformed the meaning of that poetic form. The oral tradition is inherited with Joelle Taylor’s slam verse and poetry as well as other contemporaries such as Hannah Lowe, Jocelyn Page, Jo Shapcott, Simon Armitage and, obviously, our fellow Gibraltarian poets.

YGTV: Tell us about the GCS Young Writer’s Initiative and Mentorship Programme —what did it involve?

Sheridan Povedano: The Young Writer’s initiative is the project that was developed to publish my collection of poems. Guided by Gibraltar Cultural Services and my mentor for the initiative, we would meet with each other, I would send my drafts. Additionally, I was invited to several different writing workshops from both local and international authors in order to become inspired. The project involved a year-long timeline whereby the final goal was to publish my book.

YGTV: What was the process behind putting together this collection? Was it daunting to think about your poems being read and discussed by the public?

Sheridan Povedano: Behind the scenes work was taking place all the time. I was constantly writing, to eventually decide that it was poems that I wanted to publish. Last year’s summer I remember sorting through some drafts of poems that I had written and they blended well together, told a story. This for me was a good indication to carry on with the collection and to carry on with my writing. This however, was just one part of the initiative, I had to come out of my comfort zone if I wanted others to read my work, explore its themes and elicit their own responses.

YGTV: What are the main themes you explore in your collection Tepatoa & Olathe? 

Sheridan Povedano: Tepatoa & Olathe explores in depth identity through the eyes of a female British Gibraltarian. The contrast between the natural and the man-made world is made clear similarly to the age of the 2020s of the digital and communication between the narrator, the addressee and the reader through this lens.

YGTV: You said at the launch that the poems were inspired by the “domesticity of life”- could you expand on this?

Sheridan Povedano: I part from the domestic when I am writing: characters that explore the space of the home; the living room, the kitchen and so on. As well as characters that feel that they cannot leave these spaces, that they cannot come out of it. The contrast lives when we see Gibraltar outside, we see that there is more than the four walls for the narrator, if they are able to see it.

YGTV: What would you advice be to other poets who are considering publishing their work?

Sheridan Povedano: I would encourage them to publish, despite any fears and worries holding them back. Publishing a first book is an important step as well, make sure that they always read through each detail of their poems to see how the form can mirror the meaning without it being skewed or overdone. Poetry lives not through perfection but careful re-reading and drafting, so make sure your manuscript is polished and that you are happy with its finality.

YGTV: What other writing projects are on your horizon? 

Sheridan Povedano: I continue to write poetry and I will see where it will take me. I do examine the bending and experimenting of theatrical form as I enjoy this innovation in theatre, parting from kitchen sink and absurdity. I am looking forward to writing more scripts and to continue with new poetry.

Sheridan’s debut collection of poems Tepatoa & Olathe is available for sale at local outlets.