Amy Harris has a way with words that will touch the depths of your soul and take you on the wildest of journeys.
As a poet based in Manchester, Amy’s has used poetry to explore the complexities of human emotions through her own experiences of love, loss, heartbreak and social justice.
She’s a regular on the spoken word scene and last year her poem titled, “My Kind of Heaven” was chosen to be sold on postcards at festivals around the UK, including at the iconic Glastonbury Festival.
But Amy is not just a brilliant poet, she is also a dedicated celebrant who has combined her love for words with her desire to celebrate life’s most precious moments.
With a unique blend of creativity and sensitivity, she crafts personalised ceremonies, such as Weddings or Funerals, that resonate deeply with those involved.
In this episode, Amy shares her journey of embracing her neurodivergent mind, which allows her to create poems effortlessly without writing them down. We explore how she uses poetry to navigate life's highs and lows, the healing and unifying power of language, and the importance of marking significant life events with personalised ceremonies.
Throughout our conversation, Amy performs some of her poems
Follow Amy: https://www.instagram.com/amythepoetcelebrant/
Buy Amy's Poetry Book: https://amythecelebrant.myshopify.com/products/bedtime-for-overthinkers
Book Amy as your Celebrant: https://independentcelebrants.com/celebrants/amy-harris/
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Mentioned in the Podcast:
Festival Postcards: https://www.festivalpostcards.com/
Sayin MCR - https://www.instagram.com/sayinmcr/
Verbose: https://www.instagram.com/verbosemcr/
Chapters
00:00 Intro
03:11 Amy's festival poem
09:30 Poem: 'My Kind of Heaven'
10:03 Beginning to share poetry online
13:32 Writing first poem in middle of night
16:05 Using words to understand life
20:14 Waiting for it to come out
22:32 Writing poetry in sleep
23:47 Poem - 'Where Pasta Goes'
25:48 The spoken word scene
29:49 Poetry in schools
31:34 Finding local spoken word events
34:21 Poem - 'Call Me A Pussey'
35:22 Anti-Tory Rhetoric
38:00 Poetry for social justice
39:59 Inspiration from 'Suicide In The Trenches'
42:22 Poem - 'Suicide 2022'
44:23 Amy's neurodivergent mind
47:12 Writing poems in her mind - not writing them down
50:39 Navigation school with ADHD
54:55 Poem - 'My ADHD And Me'
58:42 Writing a book with ADHD
01:05:18 Hospital book launch
01:08:08 How a podcast is like a book
01:12:31 Amy's Dedication to her friend Faye Mooney
01:22:10 Using poetry to process grief
01:28:44 Poem - 'Replay'
01:33:05 Becoming a celebrant
01:41:28 Fusing poetry with the role of a celebrant
01:44:01 Celebrating love
01:46:28 Poem - 'Lemons'
01:47:48 Amy's next Chapter
