Helena has also written another book called "Family & More, Enemies or Friends," which is a delightful collection of free verse poetry; some will make you smile and others draw upon similar remembrances of your own.

Why such a title? That is a good question.

Who influences us in our lives? Whom do we call a friend? And why? Why do we have relationships at all? These are the questions Helena Harper eloquently asks in her collection of poems that examines the relationships in her own life. She has had to rethink her definition of 'enemy', not least because her father was English and her mother German and they met in the aftermath of World War II in Germany. She has also been forced to rethink her definition of 'friend'. If we learn something from someone that helps us to grow and develop as human beings, becoming more understanding and compassionate in the process, then surely most people we meet in life will be our 'friends'? Through the memories and experiences of the people in Helena's life, others can hopefully reflect on their own and maybe come to understand themselves and their relationships better.

I would like to include here an interview with Ms Harper.

Q. Have you always been interested in writing poetry?
Helena: Actually, no! I've always loved to write, but my first love has always been writing fantasy stories for young children. I wrote poetry at school, of course, and every so often when I was on holiday, but it wasn't a regular thing.

Q. So, what prompted you to write your first book “It's a Teacher's Life...!”
Helena: Well, I've been a teacher for 20 years and about three years ago, when I was having a lovely holiday at a beautiful place in the country, I was inspired to write some poetry, and when I came home, I then had the idea to write some more poems about my life as a teacher. Each poem would concentrate on a different aspect of school life, such as the lessons, what went on in the staffroom, school trips, exams, report writing, and so on. I also wanted to pay tribute to some of the support staff who do so much to keep a school running, but are often forgotten about e.g. the cook, the caretaker/janitor, the nurse, the school secretary – the unsung heroes of life is what I call them.


Q. Do you have a favourite poem?
Helena: No, I can't say I've got a favourite. Each one is written from the heart and it's impossible for me to single one out in particular.

Q. What prompted you to write your book “Family and More – Enemies or Friends?”

Helena: I had the idea one day whilst driving to work. I was just thinking about my family and other people in my life who've had a big influence on me, one way or the other, and suddenly the idea popped into my head that I could write a second collection of poems about them and the lessons I've learnt from them.


Q. Why is it called “Enemies or Friends?”

Helena: That's got a lot to do with the fact that my mother is German and my father was English, and I just couldn't get my head round the fact that, had I been born a few years earlier, all my German relatives would have been my 'enemies'. To me they could never have been 'enemies', just 'family'. It got me thinking about how futile it is to talk about so-called national divisions.

Q. What did you find the hardest about writing your book(s)?
Helena: Finding the time to finish them and then the editing, the endless checking and re-reading – it drove me crazy!

Q. What was the easiest part?
Helena: Just writing the poems – I was totally absorbed by the process and really enjoyed it.

Q. How do you describe your style of poetry?
Helena: Easy-to-read, easily accessible free verse. I want people to be able to read and understand what I'm writing about from the word go. I don't like things to be hidden in obscurity. I write simply as I'm inspired to write. The poems I've had published in my two collections are really stories and character sketches that just happen to be in verse. One of the reviews on Amazon talks about me developing a new form of poetry, called the 'anecdotal poem', and I think that describes my style of poetry very well.

Q. What's the attraction of writing poetry as opposed to writing children's stories?
Helena: When I write poetry, I can concentrate on the rhythm and sound of the words and use vocabulary I wouldn't be able to use in my children's stories. It's a marvellous linguistic challenge - the sound of words has always been something that's fascinated me. It's one of the reasons I studied modern languages. When I write my children's stories, it's more about escaping into a wonderful world of fantasy, leaving the mundane 'real' world behind – I find it wonderfully exciting and liberating.

Q. When you're not writing, what are you doing?
Helena: Tutoring, translating, reading, walking, playing tennis or dancing, doing Pilates, spending time with my niece and nephew.


Q. What are your future writing goals?
Helena: The illustrations for my first children's picture book are being done at the moment and my aim is to have the book published before the end of the year.


Q. What 3 words do you think describe you best as a human being?
Helena: Open-minded, curious, seeking.

Q. How do you think others would describe you?
Helena: Hardworking, focused, tolerant.

Q. What is your most precious memory?
Helena: My most precious memory? That's really difficult – I have so many. Any of the memories I have of my father, perhaps, who is no longer alive. He was a truly remarkable person.

Q. What is your most embarrassing memory?
Helena: When I was at primary school, holding onto a door handle to prevent my friends from coming into the classroom (this was a game we were playing during the lunch break), only to find out that it wasn't any of my friends who were wanting to come into the classroom, but a teacher!

Q. If you weren't a writer, what would you be doing with your life?
Helena: Well, I still teach languages and give private tuition. If I weren't doing that? Hard to say – something where I could be creative and that would be stimulating and challenging.

Q. In one sentence – what do you want people to say about your writing in 50 years?

Helena: Helena Harper's writing made people laugh and cry and think.

Q. What writer most inspires you – why?
Helena: As far as fiction is concerned, I very much admire Jane Austen's style of writing, it's so clever, subtle and amusing, and she's a wonderful storyteller. But there are non-fiction authors whom I also find inspirational, such as Neale Donald Walsch and Michael Talbot.

Q. For new readers, what can they expect when they read your books?
Helena: I hope they will find something to make them smile or cry or think. I hope they will be able to take something positive from what they've read.

Q. What would you like your readers to know about you and your writing?
Helena: My poetry books have been drawn from my professional and personal life, but my children's stories are pure fantasy. The latter give me a wonderful chance to escape so-called 'reality'.

Q. When did you know you wanted to be a writer? What was the first story or article you remember writing?

Helena: I've always loved writing. Even before I went to school and could write, I sat at a desk and wrote line after squiggly line on blank sheets of paper. The first story I remember writing was a story about pots and pans and other kitchen appliances who were having a competition to see who could be the cleanest. I really enjoyed writing that story.

Q. You have a degree in modern languages and are a qualified teacher. Has this helped your writing? And if so, in what way?
Helena: Yes, definitely. My language studies have helped me appreciate the sound, rhythm and meaning of words and my teaching has taught me a great deal about what makes people tick.

Q. What is your writing process like? Do you write every day?
Helena: I fit my writing round my other commitments and write whenever I have the opportunity to write, which could be any time of the day or night.

Q. Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Helena: Yes - if you want to write, just give it a go! You have to be willing to step into the unknown, but if you don't try, you'll never know and you may end up regretting that. All you need is an idea. It doesn't have to be fully developed, just sit down and start writing something and it will develop as you go along. You never know, it may be the best thing you ever do!

Here is an excerpt from one of the poems to give you an example of the treats you will find in this book:

The Mother

...

A remarkable woman
who laughs at the conduct expected
of old fogies aged eighty and more;
the pursuit of her passions
infusing energy into her days
and cementing the resolve
to vanquish all problems,
events that serve merely
to engage mind and body,
extracting solutions
of admirable resource and
great ingenuity.
How many of us follow
our passion in life?
How many of us grow old
in grayness and lethargy
because we never
listen to the heart’s joy,
destined to fill our soul with
rainbow-like vitality?

...

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