ABOUT
LOIS WAPPLER
Born in 1994 I was brought up in the small coastal town of Portsoy in North East Scotland. Living near the sea my whole life has deeply influenced my poetic landscape and provides a rich source for the imagery of my poetry.
I began writing poetry at an early age – the first poem I can remember was an ode to my lost hamster; it was dramatic, emotional and – horror of horrors – it rhymed. It was from these early efforts that I realised the voice in poetry – my voice – was one of communication. From here on my poetry has played an integral role in my life, allowing me the space and form to express myself and reach out.
I am currently studying for my BA Hons Literature with the University of the Highlands and Islands, an institution that has allowed me many opportunities in pushing forward with my poetry.
In 2016 I was the recipient of a Moniack Mhor Young Writers Award for my personal poetry. This opportunity provided one-on-one mentoring from the poet John Glenday and a residential weekend at Moniack Mhor, Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre. This also included having my first poem, 'sister', published in a young writers' anthology, The Tide That Turned in Spring, now available online.
Following on from this, I performed my poetry for the first time at the Highland Youth Arts Hub Showcase in September 2016, reading the poems ‘1956 omega seamaster automatic’ and ‘ersatz’, the latter written specially for my fellow Young Writers.
Later the same year, in October, I performed at the inaugural Time To Shine Unconvention at the invitation of the Highland Youth Arts Hub. Here I performed ‘the selkie wife’ and ‘ersatz’.
In November 2016 I performed alongside established poets as part of NessBookFest, a local literary festival in Inverness.
In October 2017 I was lucky enough to be part of the wonderful initiative that is The Happy News, by Emily Coxhead. This publication aims to highlight the happier news stories of the world to create a positive space for its readers to enjoy. My poem, ‘inspire’, was written specially for the publication and features as a full page spread on page 13 in issue 7, beautifully illustrated by Emily Coxhead.
At the moment I am pushing forward with my poetry and hoping to challenge myself with more performances and publishing opportunities, while undertaking the third year of my degree.