Every once in a while, this blog will feature an author who has a book out on the market. This week, we're going to meet Maria Tosti.
Thank you for joining us today! Maria, Tell me a little bit about your book.
Maria: It's a poetry book published in 2004 by a young Italian publisher, Thoth Editions, both in paper and eBook. It includes poems in English, French, Spanish, and Italian, of course. The title: "Voci ai confini dell'anima" is in Italian to honour my native land and it can be translated in English into: "Voices to the boundaries of the soul". It's a path of life and growth that explores various types of poetry: free verse, calligram, acrostic and song text.
Amazing! It's not very often that we meet authors of poetry books. What was the hardest part about writing "Voci ai confini dell'anima?
Maria: I don't know exactly because poems have been written during many years of my life, since I was a teenager. They kept a long time to become a sylloge.
Perhaps, if I have to focus a particular hardest moment, I think it was when I wrote a calligram that spoke about the sea and the movement of the waves with references to Life.This poem has been written with and old typewriter. At the time I didn't have a computer yet. If you know (the general format of a) calligram, you can imagine the difficulty on writing it, especially with a typewriter. But you are so young and I think you never used a typewriter! Then a similar difficulty was when my editor had to rewrite the poem by PC when he (typeset) the book.
You're right, I've never written on a typewriter but have always wanted to. That's impressive. This might be a hard one to answer, but do you have a favorite poem you wrote?
Maria: There is no favorite poem because I've fallen in love with each of them, every time, even when I spoke about a pain. There are not only joys in the life! I can say simply that each poem has been an adventure for me.
I love that! As you've been writing this book for many years, I'm sure you've learned a lot about the writing process. Do you have any advice for writers?
Maria: Before writing, we have to read much more. This is the first step to become a writer and an author: be a great reader! Another thing that I think it's very important is: never pay (to) publish! Sometimes it's better not to be in a hurry.
The right time will come sooner or later.
Sure! My publisher Thoth Editions have published my book free of charge, without expenses, without requiring any contribution in money. Before him, many publishers proposed me to publish my poems paying a contribution, but I always declined their proposals.
Completely agree! Reading is so important, and authors shouldn't pay enormous fees to publish their books. OK, switching gears. What is something that most people don't know about your book?
Marie: Perhaps they don't know that my sylloge is a multilingual book due to poems in English, French, Spanish and Italian, if they stop only at the title in Italian. But I have to say also that many foreign people have appreciated my poetry and not only (those) who like Italian language and the spirit of Italy. It was a great discovery for me and I am proud to have reached the hearts of many people.
Absolutely! Anything else you'd like to add?
Marie: I'd like to report my website for those who want to follow my works, not just literary works but also other types of work. In fact I also like doing visual art and drawing in my spare time, between other things like photography and make art videos. I rediscovered the great passion of drawing only now as an adult; I abandoned it at school, so many years ago. Instead I have always continued the passion for photography since I was a teenager till now. On my website you can see some of my best shoots too. The link is: http://mariatosti.wixsite.com/mariatosti and it includes also my social links.