Nicola Easthope

Nicola Easthope is a secondary school teacher with a background in environmental and social justice education and activism. Her first collection of poetry, Leaving my arms free to fly around you, was published by Steele Roberts in 2011. She is polishing her second manuscript between school terms. She was once heading for a career as a tandem skydive instructor until the sexual innuendos and calendar pin-ups on the hangar walls in Matamata got too much. She cycle-toured through South East Asia back in ’99 with a lovely Swiss friend, who she cannot find on Facebook for the virtual life of her. These days, she is more sedentary and risk-averse but can still do the splits while writing epic poetry full of Homeric similes and wine-dark symbolism.

 

What’s true? What’s false? What does Nicola Easthope’s current lifestyle often involve?
Teaching.
Correct! Nicola is a secondary school teacher who writes poetry in her spare time.
Doing the splits while she writes.
Sorry, this isn’t the answer (the last time Nicola did the splits was in 2013, but she could work her way into them again if needed).
Skydiving.
Not quite, although Nicola was once headed for a career as a tandem skydiving instructor.
Epic poetry.
This isn’t correct. Nicola doesn’t write epic poetry, as ‘anything more than a page and a half would be overly ambitious!’

By Nicola

Spirit meditation

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