Erin Conway-Smith is the winner of our 2019 Janice Colbert Poetry Award. Born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario, she has lived in Johannesburg since 2009 as a journalist reporting on southern Africa for The Economist, and other publications including The Globe and Mail, Los Angeles Times, Times of London, Daily and Sunday Telegraph, Financial Times, Foreign Policy, and The Independent. Erin recently sat down with us to discuss her award and what inspires her writing.
SCS: Why did you decide to explore poetry writing at SCS?
ECS: I used to write poetry back when I was younger, but hadn’t in years. Recently, I became interested in creative writing again, and wanted to find ways to stretch my abilities. As a journalist, I write every day for work, but I wanted to push myself as a writer and shake up my brain a bit … do something outside my comfort zone.
Last summer I was home visiting family in Toronto, and decided to participate in a SCS Summer Writing School intensive five-day workshop. It seemed like a great way to learn while on vacation, and I was familiar with the work of the instructor, Ken Babstock. I wanted to learn from him, and felt it would be a good way to get immersed in a new type of writing, put my head in a different space, and push myself. The workshop got me in the habit of creative writing. When I returned to South Africa, I was writing every day, and reading more poetry. In spring of this year, I wrote After Mining.
SCS: Your poems, After Mining, portray a brutal and vivid portrait of the mining industry in South Africa. What was your inspiration?
ECS: I’ve reported on the mining industry over the years. As a journalist, you’re always trying to tell a story in the most accurate way, to communicate clearly. For this work, I drew from my reporting, but treated it in a really different way, bringing creativity to the page.
Mining has been so fundamental to the South African experience. I wanted to explore how things are changing as the industry wanes. Through my reporting, I have been down one of the deepest mine shafts in the world; I’ve interviewed former miners whose health was ruined from working in unsafe conditions. I tried to bring some of that imagery to the poems. Mining is losing its importance to the South African economy, and I wanted to reflect on the deep impact it has had while also looking forward.
SCS: How has winning this award influenced your creative writing future?
ECS: It’s the first time I’ve ever submitted my poetry work to a competition (or anywhere, for that matter), and I wasn’t expecting to win! It’s been a motivating force to keep writing, keep submitting.
SCS: Any advice for aspiring writers?
ECS: I was so intimidated by my first Summer Writing School workshop. I’m used to my journalistic writing being read and shared, but this was in a creative space so I felt more vulnerable. But I found it to be a really positive place to share my ideas, and I felt very comfortable. My classmates and instructors gave really thoughtful and constructive feedback. It was a great experience, so my advice would be to push past your fear and go for it.