PP - Hello Simon, thank you for taking the time to speak with us!

PP - Would you tell us a little about yourself?

SimonDurney -

I'm a 42 year old English man (although still 18 or so in my head) and a relatively new writer. I have 9 year old twin daughters who keep me amused and give me great material to write about. I have worked for a window and patio door firm for about 4 years. Previous to that I have been a welder, groundworker and worked on farms to name but a few.

PP - How long have you been on Wattpad?

SimonDurney -

I've been on Wattpad for around 2 years I think. I started out on other apps which I'm still on but then joined Wattpad.

PP - What do you enjoy most about the PoetsPub?

SimonDurney -

I love interacting with fellow poets/writers from different backgrounds, religions etc from all origins the world. Everyone is so friendly, encouraging and helpful. I've made many friends through the Poets Pub and on Wattpad in general.

PP - How long have you been writing poetry?

SimonDurney -

Just over 2 years ago I started writing short stories but then the break up of my marriage pushed me in the direction of poetry. Obviously I started writing about being broken hearted etc (theses are in a collection on here) then progressed to writing about well pretty much anything. So probably around 2 and a half years since I first wrote a poem.

PP - Where do you find inspiration for your poetry?

SimonDurney -

Everything inspires me. People, things I see or hear. It could be an object or a quote I've stumbled across. Inspiration is all around us in many forms. Sometimes you just have to look, listen, feel a little deeper.

PP - Is poetry your main genre or do you write other things? If so what else do you enjoy writing?

SimonDurney -

I like to write short stories of different genres. I've lots of unfinished stuff in my drafts which one day I hope to complete or at least use some of them perhaps as parts of another story. I have 2-3 novels unfinished. 2 of which were published on here but I unpublished them to rewrite but haven't gotten around to yet.

PP - What advice would you give to poets who are just starting out?

SimonDurney -

The advice I would give to a new writer is not to force it. When inspiration hits you will know and it will just flow. That's what I feel. Always keep a notebook and pen with you to jot down things. A single word or something I see can be the kickstart of a poem or story. Also with poems especially love ones I write from the heart and experience.

PP - Do you have a favorite author on Wattpad? What about outside of Wattpad?

SimonDurney -

I'm a big fan of our very own Bill Temple who writes under 2-3 different names I believe. He's a fantastic poet and wonderful story teller and has inspired me no end. OwainGlyn, Seasofme, Pietriox, MystresMyna, writingmytruth very talented poets/writers. There are so many great writers on here, too many to mention and many I've yet to read. My reading list is full of unread stories and poems.

PP - You are throwing a dinner party and you can invite any 10 authors, living, dead or fictional. Who do you invite?

SimonDurney -

This is a tough one I could pick at least a hundred! But I'll go with these to make a very entertaining evening!

William Shakespeare

Stephen King

Stephen Fry

Michael Palin

David Attenborough

Edward Lear

Tim Burton

Edgar Allan Poe

Roald Dahl

CS Lewis

PP - Thank you so much for speaking with us. Is there anything else you would like to add?

SimonDurney -

I would just like to thank everyone connected with the Poets Pub. The admins keep up the good work, and the writers, keep writing those wonderful, funny, inspiring, heartbreaking poems. And thank you all for your encouragement and support over the last few years.

PP - Thank you Simon it has been a pleasure getting to know you better! We are happy to have you as a member of the Pub and look forward to seeing more of your work.