BOOK REVIEW
On Love and Life, is filled with impressive poetry combined with impactful lines that showcase Nieve’s effortless talents as a writer. There are pieces that will validate the readers’ emotions, or leave them in thought-provoking moments of bliss and grief.
As the book progresses, the empowering read is moving, exploring topics of love and loss, joy and grief, life and death.
Split into two sections, each with three chapters, this body of work was inspired by personal experiences reading like a diary or anthology, yet is deeply relatable, wise and accessible at every level. With a unique style that combines modern micro-poems, with classic, romantic rhymes and repetition, each piece moves differently and sheds light in a new way.
It’s a stunning read that has moments where pieces will leave the reader with goosebumps. The rhymes and rhythm, and overall storytelling truly brought this book to life in an emotive way that elevates Nieve’s talents and abilities from someone who shares some work on social media to now being a published author.
Nieve is a 25-year-old poet and writer based in London. After receiving her bachelor of arts degree in English literature, she now continues her passion for all things writing by inspiring others as a secondary school English teacher. Her debut poetry collection is a culmination of her experiences and her existence so far, centring around the two most universal themes of all: love and life itself. You can find her on Instagram and all other socials at @wordsbynieve, or visit her website.
Words by Danielle Holian
INTERVIEW
Tell us a bit about your writing background.
I’ve been writing since I was around 13-years-old. I originally wanted to be a singer/songwriter, but I could never create an original melody to go with my words. Then I found poetry, and I realised that I didn’t need music. Words were my passion and they could develop their own rhythm. From then on, poetry and writing has been my greatest hobby and joy.
What, or who, influenced you to start writing?
I don’t know what it was that first made me pick up that pen, but I’m so glad that I did. Writing for me now is how I process and accept things. It’s how I explore my emotions and how I heal. Anything I write is a reflection of what I’m feeling at the time. In terms of who inspires me – there are too many people to even name. But some of my favourite poets are Maya Angelou, Pablo Neruda and Leonard Cohen.
And what influenced your poetry book ‘On Love and Life'?
This book has been in the making for so many years. You could even say it began when I first started writing poetry at 13, even if I didn’t know it yet. But it was only about five years ago that it started to become a reality. I noticed the rise of self-publishing and modern ‘Insta-poets’, and for the first time, I considered that other people might actually be interested in reading my words too. Since that realisation, it’s been my absolute dream to publish a book, and I’m now so grateful and excited that I can finally call myself a published author! It was the extra time during lockdown last year that I started to put a plan into action. I took a look at what poems I already had, and then it was just a case of arranging them in an order that made sense. The result? Something that completely encapsulates my entire existence and experience in life so far. With two sections, six chapters and over 200 poems, basically every theme and emotion possible is captured in some way in my book.
How has your life in general influenced your work in general?
It’s my biggest influence, without a doubt. And I love that, because it means that as I grow older, my writing style and content will change and grow too. I can only imagine what I will have accomplished in 5 years’ time, and what my life might look like then.
How do you find the balance between writing about your own personal experiences and exploring topics that may not necessarily be autobiographical, but still speak to many people?
As long as what you write is true to you - regardless of whether it’s something you’ve personally experienced - if you believe in it, then finding a balance is not an issue. But it has to be true to you.
What makes a piece of your writing right to post on your Instagram, versus the ones that stay in the book?
This is a really good question, and it’s something I actually struggle with a lot. I don’t want to give away every single one of the poems from my book, otherwise no one would buy the book. But I also want to make sure the posts I do put on Instagram are still high quality and represent me. So, again it’s about balance. I tend to use Instagram more as an experimental space. If I’ve written a poem and I’m unsure about it, I will put it on Instagram as a way of getting feedback, without any pressure. People are really supportive and helpful in that sense. I also post a lot of my shorter pieces on Instagram, because no one wants to read a book that’ll take you just 10 minutes to read, and equally on Instagram, no one wants to be zooming in and spending hours reading a long poem crammed into a tiny square. I love that Instagram allows me to drop bite size snippets of inspiration, and allows me to find the same from other authors too. It’s a really uplifting and communal space and I genuinely enjoy every interaction I make there.
And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Write for you, first and foremost. Don’t worry about followers, even though it’s really hard not to. Don’t give up. If I can publish a book, anyone can. You can do anything you set your mind to. Read a lot, and support other indie writers. They will be a great inspiration and support for you. But don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Sometimes there are no words. And that’s okay too.