#1 Tiegan Johnston, poet

'All my best ideas seem to come right before I drift off.'

Tiegan Johnston is an Irish poet, currently finishing her MA in Poetry at Queen’s University Belfast. Her work has a focus on the body, gender, fruit, memory, trauma, and the oddities of human interaction. She has recently been published in Ripe Literary Journal and is a member of Belfast-based creative co-op, Soup Ink. You can find her on Instagram.

Where do you write?
Anywhere and everywhere! I’ve moved around a lot in the past few years, meaning my desk space is constantly changing, but at the moment I’ve got a rickety little table set up in my fiancé’s parents’ conservatory with a few books on poetry close at hand and plenty of natural light. Although most of the time I end up on the sofa or my bed if I’m being honest. 

Morning writer or late-night words?
I always get up with the intention to write first thing in the morning, but life and family and fun get in the way, so I end up furiously typing away late at night. Although, I think this works better because all my best ideas seem to come right before I drift off. 

Coffee, tea, or any other drinks?
Tea all day, every day. I drink it by the bucketload. 

Handwritten notes or phone files?
I prefer handwritten, I think it lodges in my brain better – however, I don’t know what I’d do without the notes app. It’s unbeaten for quickly getting an idea down before I forget it completely.

Something to nibble while you write?
Chocolate and those little oranges. You’ll find my notebooks, laptop, and poetry books stained with some kind of snack food. 

What's your most tempting distraction?
Cleaning, eating, and staring gooey-eyed at my pug, Peanut. 

What's on the speakers?
If I really need to concentrate it’ll be some sort of jazz, I love My Analog Journal – it’s basically lots of funky, obscure jazz mixes from all over the world being spun in beautiful apartments. Or it’ll be something psychedelic from the 60s/70s if I need to get creative. I like to make playlists for certain moments and eras in my life, too, so if I’m writing about a certain time I stick on the playlist and it all comes back so easily. 

What are your pre-writing rituals?
Cleaning! I really can’t concentrate in an untidy space, so cleaning often happens just before sitting down to write. So, I’ll clean, light some candles or incense, stick on some music, make some tea and settle down to write – making sure everything I need is close at hand because once I’m comfy I don’t like to move. 

Perfect bookshop to hide on a rainy day?
Oh an easy one! Either No Alibis or Keats & Chapman, both in Belfast. The former has such an interesting selection of books, and the staff is always willing to chat, give suggestions, and help. The latter is a second-hand bookstore stacked to the brim with all sorts of books, it’s perfect for getting lost in the shelves and digging deep to find a hidden gem. 

A poem that has changed your life:
Any question like this causes my brain to go entirely blank like I’ve never read a poem, watched a movie, or listened to music in my life. But the one poem that always seems to stick around is The Orange by Wendy Cope. It’s so simple and ordinary, but I had such a visceral reaction the first time I read it – like wow life really is worth it, even for these small, everyday pleasures. It never fails to make me smile and feel deeply connected to this world and all the beauty in it.