Interview with Jennifer Juan

Jennifer Juan is a writer and artist, from the UK. A tornado of darkness and delicacy, Juan creates engaging and powerful projects, using a variety of mediums and platforms, each dripping with her signature playful, yet powerful style of writing. Beginning her journey as an artist as a teenager, Juan graduated from The University of Greenwich in 2013, and began sharing her work on her personal website, as well as through social media, posting written poetry and video projects. In 2017, Juan began producing a weekly podcast, sharing her poetry, insights into her writing techniques, and released several printed volumes of poetry, including the critically acclaimed “Home Wrecker”.

 

1. Your new book, “Home Wrecker”, was published recently. To begin with, could you tell those who don’t know much about the book?

I called it “Home Wrecker” because I was particularly fascinated with the narrative of women always being in the wrong in that kind of situation. Women are often the ones shouldering the responsibility in anything that goes wrong, but in a situation where a man leaves a relationship for another woman, he’s never forced to take responsibility for his part in that, because it’s always the woman who is blamed, and slandered and labelled. It’s a collection of poetry, based around the female experience. The mistakes women make, the labels they are pinned with, and the triumphs that they have.

 

2. What inspires you to write?

I’m inspired by the world around me. Writing about the things I see, hear and experience help me to understand and appreciate all the different stories that are taking place all around me.

 

3. What do you enjoy most about your work?

I love taking things I’ve written and transforming them in new ways. I like to make videos of my poetry, or use it to create music, and it’s really exciting.

 

4. What has inspired you lately?

I recently read at an event in London, and it was really inspiring to meet with other writers and talk with them about their process and what they’re currently up to.

 

5. Finally, what advice do you have for aspiring authors?

I think the most important thing is to be unafraid of being different. A lot of people won’t have confidence in their own work and their own abilities, and they’ll try and be something they’re not, or emulate what they see other people doing, and that might make you popular too, for a while, but you’ll never grow and learn your own style, or get to show people what really makes you special. If you are creating something that doesn’t fit with what everyone else does, celebrate that. Fall in love with your own unique style of work, and other people will too.

 

Jeniffer Juan’s Official Website: www.jenniferjuan.com