Interview with poet S R Lore

My special guest today is poet S R Lore. We’re chatting about the collection, The Playground of Life.

Welcome, S.R. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was born in Mauritius and brought up in North London. I grew up with a long-term health condition. After years of soul searching into the meaning of life, spirituality, and self-development, I took charge of my life and decided to do all that I can to better my life and that of others. My motto is ‘love is my currency, I spend freely’ and I would like to spread peace, unity, respect, and love by daily action, charity work, poetry, and through my self-development blog Making a Difference.

What do you enjoy most about writing poems?

The most enjoyable thing about writing poetry for me is the fact that it enables me to express my feelings towards circumstances in life succinctly.

Can you give us a little insight into a few of your poems – perhaps a couple of your favorites?

‘The Playground of Life,’ which is the title of the book and also a poem, explains the fact that we as human beings play many roles consciously or unconsciously. Our ego tends to take over whenever it feels like it, but if we remain conscious enough we can see the roles at play without losing sight of the real essence of us. We can even have fun playing these roles which are the many facets of ourselves. Another poem close to my heart is ‘Mummy Dearest’, which expresses my relationship with my mother who is very dear to me. I hope others will be able to relate to it as well.

What form are you inspired to write in the most? Why?

I like to write in a rhyming style which I do without realizing it. I am inspired by rappers because they rap about the realities of everyday life in a very impactful way.

What type of project are you working on next?

I have designed a t-shirt with the logo ‘Love is my currency, I spend freely’ to raise money for FareShare and I am planning to design more t-shirts and homeware with my poetry to raise money to build schools in the poorest countries. So watch the space.

When did you first consider yourself a writer / poet?

I actually never studied poetry. However, in 2004 I was really ill and the doctors didn’t think that I would survive. It took a few years for me to come through it, but I became a different person and had a different intake on life. I started to write about my experiences in life and the things around me. It wasn’t until 2013 that I decided to use my writing in a form of a poetry diary to raise money for charity and as a result of that I got quite a lot of feedback from those who wanted me to put it all in a poetry book.

How do you research markets for your work, perhaps as some advice for not-yet-published poets?

Well, I think I have already touched on that subject. It’s not until you expose yourself to the public that you can get an idea of how well you will be received. And also who your target market is going to be. Poetry is especially hard to sell because the market for it is small. But I believe in doing what makes you happy and if you are able to make a difference with your work then it makes it all worthwhile. I also believe in self-publishing because you need to get your talent out there instead of waiting for someone else to do it.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Well, I don’t know if that is a quirky thing but I tend to write about some serious subject in a humorous way.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Funny enough, I did enjoy playing a librarian or a teacher as a child but I did want to be a journalist amongst other things. I couldn’t keep my attention on one thing as I was passionate about a lot of things.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I would just like to add that 50% of the sale price of my poetry book goes to University College Hospital and FareShare. And a big thank you to all in advance who buys my book. If anybody wants to find out what I am all about then check my blog out or for any advice they can e-mail me at sr.lore@yahoo.co.uk

Thank you for being here today! All the best with your writing.