A chat with Margaret Royall about her poetry pamphlet, Owl Fetish (Dreich Press, 2024)
How would you describe Owl Fetish in one sentence?
It can be described as a fantasy about becoming an owl, observing fellow woodland creatures.
How long did the book take to write?
It was written within a short period of time. The idea came to me and I very quickly wrote the poem sequence about morphing into an owl. I then realised I had a number of unpublished poems about other woodland creatures such as fox, squirrel, badger, swallow and butterfly and I then incorporated them into the narrative.
How did you structure the pamphlet?
I composed the main sequence about becoming an owl and experiencing life in the forest, then inserted the poems about other creatures he would observe. I needed 20 poems for a chapbook.
How did you choose a publisher?
I chose to enter Dreich’s slim chapbook competition. I had previously been published by Dreich, liked their publication ethic. Although I was not one of the winners Jack (Caradoc) liked my work so much he offered to publish me anyway, for which I am most grateful.
How are the poems different (or is similar to) what you have written before?
They are actually completely different, although the imagistic style is one I’ve adopted in recent years and is maybe typical of what I post on @TopTweetTuesday. I don’t usually write fantasy poems though; that is a complete departure.
Do you have a favourite poem in the pamphlet?
It’s hard to say. I am probably proudest of Fire-fox, as I worked on that editing and re-editing it for months. I like the classical links and always hoped to find a good home for it somewhere.
What inspired you to write about owls?
Owls have always fascinated me. Back in childhood days they featured in my favourite Alison Uttley’s Little Grey Rabbit stories and I was fascinated by the feelings of awe and fear they evoked in me. For me they represent mystery and magic(k). I live in a small village in the Nottinghamshire countryside and at night I hear them hooting near my cottage. Their call is haunting.
I feel as though there’s a link between owls and family in the pamphlet, and wonder if you could talk a little about this?
I think you may be right. It’s not a conscious connection but the owl is very aware of his fellow woodland inhabitants and takes an interest in their comings and goings, (not only as a source of prey). He spares the squirrel and we get the sense he disapproves of the badger cull and sympathises with the hunted fox. Indeed the chapbook starts with my human family’s comments about owls, so there is a perceived link.
Do you have a favourite owl poem written by another poet?
Maybe ‘The Owl’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson
When cats run home and light is come,
And dew is cold upon the ground,
And the far-off stream is dumb,
And the whirring sail goes round,
And the whirring sail goes round;
Alone and warming his five wits,
The white owl in the belfry sits.
When merry milkmaids click the latch,
And rarely smells the new-mown hay,
And the cock hath sung beneath the thatch
Twice or thrice his roundelay,
Twice or thrice his roundelay;
Alone and warming his five wits,
The white owl in the belfry sits.
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Do you have any other poetic projects in the pipeline?
I have just had a full poetry collection published by Hedgehog Press: Toccata and Fugue with Harp. In October 24 Impspired Press will be publishing my pamphlet, Hemlock and Honey, where many of the poems are in sonnet form. Then as a result of the Erbacce Poetry Prize I have been chosen as one of their four featured poets for 2024. Five pages of poetry and an in-depth interview with me will be appearing in their quarterly journal, in the Autumn edition. I feel very proud to have been selected from over 9,000 entries internationally.
This has understandably taken up a lot of my time and so I am just contemplating new projects. I have always wanted to finish a novel I started some time ago, so maybe that will get my attention now.
Please provide a link to where people can buy the book if you’d like to
For information about all my books and ways to purchase please visit my website page:
https://margaretroyall.com/my-books/
Owl Fetish and other books can be bought direct via PayPal, stating which book and giving a postal address.
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