An Interview with Sonja Koch

Surrounded by the things that matter, Sonja lives with her husband, horses, dogs, alpacas, cats and guinea pigs on a 112-acre piece of paradise near Canada’s capital. Her life is dedicated to animals, nature, the healing arts, and teaching. Her granddaughter, Dalys, is quietly following in her footsteps.

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

I have been writing poetry since I was a child. My mom used to read poetry to us when we were children. I have loved the rhythm and meter of poetry since then. The organization and uncluttered aspect of being able to express the maximum of thought with the minimum of words has made poetry my “go-to” writing style.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

It started as a homework project for my granddaughter. She had the assignment of presenting a project about online safety for children. She expressed an interest in learning how to write poetry for this project. So then the idea of organizing my poetry and adding her voice into the mix took on a life of its own. The Maiden and the Crone were born…

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

This book is about a perspective on the seasons of change as experienced by the Maiden and the Crone. The title, Bookends of Life, sprang to the forefront of my mind even before I started organizing my poetry. What better way to hold life together than with the generations shoring each other up?

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

Nature sounds, theme song from Dr. Zhivago, “Wonderful World,” rain, medieval music, string instruments.

Describe your dream book cover.

Something that exudes feeling and texture, and invites the reader to look deeply into the cover and themselves at the same time

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

The horse industry, healing arts, ballroom and Latin dance teacher, Waldorf school teacher, animal communication… Basically anything that I really enjoy…

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

It is my hope that the reader will walk away having a better knowledge of what is deep inside themselves. I hope to be able to touch the reader’s life by planting the seed that they themselves are the creator of their own little world and have the ability to change whatever needs to be changed.

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