Featured Poet: Kitty Trout

We recently had the opportunity to interview Kitty Trout about her debut book The Evolution of Mum and approach to poetry.

Congratulations on the release of your debut book The Evolution of Mum! What inspired you to write this book?

The book is inspired by my journey (terrifying catapult) into motherhood. Pregnancy lasts for 9 months, but it feels like about 900 - I unfortunately suffered with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) for the duration. Losing the ability to eat and horrendous sickness aside, I struggled far more with the mental battle this presented. This led to pre-natal depression and crippling anxiety, that left me feeling like the worst mum in the world before I'd even given birth. When I eventually spoke up, I was comforted by the fact that I of course wasn't alone in my struggle. I hoped that one day I'd have the strength to help others, as others had helped me.

I decided to spend some time trying to write down my thoughts in poems as an outlet. It really helped, so I continued to do this until Jesse's first birthday.

Can you describe your creative process?

I will sometimes spend a few days/weeks thinking about an idea, but once I decide how I want to express it, I tend to write quite quickly. Once I've started a poem it is usually finished in about 15 minutes, and 90% of the time I write the final line first. I like to try and include some humour, so I suppose you could say I start with the punch line and work backwards!

What does your workspace look like?

The great thing about my workspace is it's completely portable. As a new parent you don't generally have any time to yourself, so my workspace became literally any situation in which I had 20 minutes to myself. Sometimes this was my bed at 3am whilst feeding Jesse, sometimes it was sitting on a park bench during one of our 100 walks that day, and sometimes it was sitting next to his cot in tears whilst trying every tactic known to man to try and get him to sleep.

What is your motivation for writing?

I've always enjoyed reading, which I suppose is why I was drawn to writing. I had an amazing English teacher all through school, and she definitely encouraged me. Now I write because I enjoy it, because I want to make my son proud, and because it might help someone else smile on a darker day.

Poet Kitty Trout celebrating her debut book The Evolution of Mum.

How did you become a poet?

My family and friends have been subject to my poetry for many years. The first poem I wrote when I was about 7 and it was called "If you want a dog, start by asking for a horse." About 6 months later we did get a dog, perhaps the success of my debut inspired me to continue!

Has the coronavirus pandemic changed how you approach your craft?

I wouldn't say it's changed my approach. Although, in the face of uncertainty, I decided I definitely wanted to finish my book by the time Jesse turned one. It's made me appreciate the little things even more, so being able to hold a copy of my first book during a global pandemic was a pretty special feeling.

What does literary success look like to you?

For me, if one person reads one poem that helps them through one day, then that's success. The book is written to try and be the help that I so badly needed, so that's the ultimate goal.