Local writer flying high

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This article was published 03/02/2015 (4144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There are times when it seems fitting to judge a book by its cover.

That’s the case for Brenda Sciberras’ first published collection of poetry — titled Magpie Days — that was published last fall by Winnipeg-based Turnstone Press. The book was edited by Clarise Foster. Sciberras is Turnstone’s featured Author of the Month for January.

The 57-year-old Norwood Grove resident said the collection was driven by observations of everyday life and that there are parallels between the behaviour of the magpie, a bird she loves, and her approach to writing poetry.

“The inspiration for this collection came from daily life and, in some part, the struggles we face. The poems deal with issues such as the coming of age, marriage issues, divorce, cancer and death. For me, the best way to deal with these issues is to write a poem about them. My poetry is a patchwork of little pieces put together and some of the pieces are from my own experiences,” Sciberras said.

“The magpie is a very clever bird. It has lots of patience and is willing to take a chance. Magpies also hold funerals for each other, which I always find fascinating. They also steal things, especially shiny objects. As a poet, I steal ideas and snippets of ideas. My book is a like a collection of shiny bits of life.”

While Sciberras has previously been published in several Canadian literary magazines and anthologies, this is her first published book. And it was while she was at her job as the librarian at Murdoch MacKay Collegiate in Transcona that the achievement of penning her first tome struck her in a moment of realization.

“It was surreal. I had to catalogue the book at my high school library and that was a pretty special moment. I had my own ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and barcode,” she said.

As well as spending hours crafting her poems, Sciberras also writes in her journal every day. An early riser, she gets up at 5:30 a.m. and spends at least an hour every day working in either of these mediums, or both.

“I get quite a few writing ideas by writing in my journal and it’s pretty much a catalyst for my writing, as I can flip back through my notes for ideas or seeds of ideas,” she said.

In terms of approach to writing a poem, Sciberras said that rather than having a uniform process, each experience is different.

“Sometimes I’ll get an idea and write it down at once and sometimes I’ll write in little bits and pieces. Either way, creating a poem is lots of work,” she said.

Sciberras is also slated to be the featured speaker at an event called Speaking Crow, which will be held at the Millennium Library on Tues., April 7 and will coincide with National Poetry Month.
For more information, go online at www.turnstonepress.com

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com

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