An Interview with Rosie Mitchell

I’m a 38-year-old poet from the West Midlands and have been writing poetry since childhood. A lot of my poetry is semi-confessional, where I draw upon my own experiences to inspire my poetry. My poetry deals with themes of mental illness, drug addiction, social injustice, love, loss and healing amongst other themes. Each poem is full of emotion, offering an intimate glimpse into a story of pain, reflection, growth, and resilience. My poems are raw and vulnerable in their honesty.

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What inspired you to start writing this book?

It’s always been a dream of mine to publish a collection of my poetry. I’ve written so many poems that have had such positive responses from people who have encouraged me to release a poetry collection. I want my book to inspire those living with mental illness and drug addiction because I have suffered with bipolar disorder for most of my life and battled and overcome addiction to drugs. I want my story that I’ve turned into poetry to show people the resilience of the human spirit.

Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

My book’s title, One Mile to Sane, is taken from the title of one of my poems. The book takes the reader on a journey from times of insanity and being lost to a place of healing and recovery and I wanted a title that reflected this.

Describe your dream book cover.

I have already created my dream book cover! It’s a photograph of me standing against the gritty background of an industrial estate holding a piece of cardboard with “One Mile to Sane” written on it to show me wanting to “hitchhike a lift there, it’s name on card” which is the line from the poem it is taken from. I’m satisfied that this is the perfect cover for my poetry collection.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

If my book had a soundtrack, some songs that would be on it are “Where Is My Mind” by the Pixies, “Take Me to Church” by Hozier and “Free” by Florence and the Machine.

What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?

I’m currently reading The Household by Stacey Halls, which is about Charles Dickens’ home for fallen women set in 1847. I’m also reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath for the first time because I’m greatly inspired by her as a poet.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I’m a spoken word artist and perform at spoken word nights all over the West Midlands as well as venturing further afield sometimes. I was invited to perform my poetry at a club in London a while ago. I supported a local band at their album launch last year and performed my poetry alongside the band playing music.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

My mom greatly inspired my love for writing and poetry. She read me a lot of poetry throughout my childhood. Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake was a favourite as a girl.

Where is your favorite place to write?

My favourite place to write is sitting looking out of the window into the trees that are in the park over the road from my flat.

What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?

I’d tell my past self to continue writing authentically with their own unique style and to not be influenced by the masses.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

That life is a journey and one huge learning curve. We don’t have all of the answers but we do have poetry. Pain can be alchemised into poetry.

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Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.