New Zealand-born poet Fleur Adcock tells Sylvia Thompson of the joy in celebrating creativity in older age
The New Zealand born poet and writer, Fleur Adcock (70), describes herself "as a walking example of creativity in older age". After several years of writing very little, she suddenly burst into a new writing phase last year and has been "writing like mad".
"I had got into the mode of thinking I'd had my literary career but I really think the absence of writing was about giving up smoking. My body has got used to not smoking now and providing itself with its own concentration. I've written 20 poems in the last 12 months," she says.
Adcock will be in Dublin and Cork this week as the writer in residence of the Bealtaine Festival of Creativity in Older Age.
Does she feel a festival which encourages older people to participate in arts activities assumes they are excluded from arts events in general?
"In theory I suppose it does. But practically speaking, there are plenty of older people involved in arts activities. And it's a good thing to have a festival of creativity for older people because there is so much emphasis on youth. This type of festival is a recognition that you don't 'go off' as you grow older."
Adcock says it is the contrary and points to historic examples of writers improving with age (W.B. Yeats wrote some of his most striking work in old age) and to the reality that many women only start writing later in life. But being healthy in older age is crucial for the poetic muse.
"It's very important. If you are not fit or you are suffering, it is very hard to concentrate on anything except getting well again. I've got so much more healthy in my behaviour in the last 20 years by exercising regularly, eating a sensible diet and giving up smoking," she says, adding that she finds walking itself becomes an inspiring activity for her work.
"It's a great help because if you keep your eyes open, look around you, there will be things you see and hear and impressions you get. But really you can only write about what pops into your head."
Growing old is certainly not a theme she pursues in her work. Having spent the first five years of her life in New Zealand, she then lived in England until she was 13, only to return to the Antipodean island for 16 years, before returning to stay in England.
And it is to her childhood years and the lives of her parents which her poetic muse draws her these days rather than her years as a young mother in New Zealand or later when she moved to England. "You don't decide what to write about but, as you get older, you do get nostalgic and think about the past. Recently I've been writing about my childhood during the war and my parents' lives which I can look much more sympathetically on now.
"What I have realised is that so many big events in your life are completely accidental. You don't plan the course of your life." That said, Adcock did make a radical move in her mid-40s when she gave up her civil service job to become a freelance writer.
"It may be seen as a rather selfish act to pursue your creativity but that's what you have to do. If I'd waited until I was 60, I wouldn't have had time to do what I've done."
Fleur Adcock has published 13 volumes of poetry and edited and translated the work of other poets. The latter includes The Faber Book of 20th Century Women's Poetry (Faber and Faber, 1987).
Niall McMonagle will interview Fleur Adcock about her work and creativity in older age tonight at 8 p.m. in the Conference Room, Dublin City Public Libraries, 144-146 Pearse St, Dublin 2. She will give poetry workshops tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Poetry Ireland, 120 St Stephen's Green and on Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Tigh Filí, Thompson House, MacCurtain Street, Cork. She will also read in Tigh Filí on Thursday at 6 p.m. Full details on the Bealtaine festival from 01 8057709 or at www.olderireland.ie