Q&A Belinda Curby

NWG Inc talked to Belinda Curby

What is your favorite creative work? Your stories, your poems, your art? Poems.

What serious topics do you write about? Mental Health, Death, ECT.  

And what do you like to make fun of?
I try and make fun of everything.

What motivates you to write? Going through my struggles in life and being able to express my feelings to others.

What can get in the way of writing? Losing my memory and having trouble putting words together.

Ravens often appear in your poems. What is special about ravens to you? When I spent six months in Westmead Hospital, Mum and Dad took me outside to sit and the ravens used to come around and visit me.

 Some of your writing “pulls no punches” about issues of health.  Can you comment on that? Having been through a lot in my life, I write it down to explain exactly what I have been through.

Who do you find are the people who most relate to your work? My friends at Northside West clinic.

You’ve published three volumes of poetry and art so far.  What is your future plan? Not sure at this time. I have lost my memory and have not got back into writing as yet.

Finally, can you tell us a little about living in Parramatta. What does this city mean to you? At the moment, with light rail work being done and COVID-19, it has made it hard to get around. One of my favorite places to go was the Mars Hill Café where we writers used to meet. It catered for everyone.

A Parramatta resident, Belinda Curby is a member of NWG Inc. Despite recurring medical challenges, Belinda retains her humour and renews her creativity. We are sure she’ll be back to writing soon … we have included one of her published poems. 

MARS HILL CAFÉ
Belinda Curby