intro: British/Mauritian. Poet. Writer. Indie-press promoter. Plant-lover. Polyglot. Homeschooling mother. Everyone calls me Lizzie.
When / why did you start writing poetry? – answers in adjectivesSad, lonely, painful, grieving. Frustrated, isolated, seething, erupting. Relieved, soothed, released, understood.
How do you write a poem? – answer in five verbs.Appear.Scramble.Pin down.Fine tune.Put away.
What is your definition of what experimental poetry is?Poetry that breaks away from what poetry is “supposed” to be, whether in form, language, shape, style or subject.
Have you done many interviews before? Do you find them repetitive? Repetitive? Repetitive?A few, and not really. They’ve mostly been from fellow creatives who each put their own spin on the interview process, which is fantastic.
What’s a favorite snack you like when poet-ing?Côte d’or chocolate, grilled almonds or a mauritian street snack called “moolkoo.”
What are you kinda obsessed by?I’m a poet. Everything. And how it makes me feel.
Do you tell your social circle about your poet-ing?Not really. Very broad lines.
How do you rebel?By homeschooling my kids, buying local, pushing for kindness and inclusivity, and championing anyone who needs somebody in their corner.
Tell me a literary / science fact or joke, please.A priest, an imam and a rabbit walk into a blood donation centre. The nurse asks the rabbit for it’s blood type. The rabbit responds: “I’m probably a Type-O.”
What’s your fav colour, poet, snack. (this is your pen name!)Yellow, Roque Dalton, Saucisson. (catchy!)
Author Bio: Elizabeth M Castillo is a British-Mauritian poet, writer, indie-press promoter. She lives in Paris with her family and two cats, where she writes a variety of different things under a variety of pen names. In her writing Elizabeth explores themes of race & ethnicity, motherhood, womanhood, language, love, loss and grief, and a touch of magical realism. She has words in, or upcoming in Selcouth Station Press, Pollux Journal, Revista Purgante, Bandit Fiction, Streetcake Magazine, Fevers of the Mind Press, Untitled Writing, Epoch Press, & others. Her bilingual, debut collection “Cajoncito: Poems on Love, Loss, y Otras Locuras” is available for preorder at www.elizabethmcastillo.com/books. You can connect with her on Twitter and IG at @EMCWritesPoetry.
Links:
www.elizabethmcastillo.com/publications
Beir Bua Press 