By Emily Oldfield

A writer and creative exploring the mysterious depths of the mind, one half of alternative piano and poetry duo Fall in Green and Editor-in-Chief of Ink Pantry http://www.inkpantry.com/, a press with plenty of experience in working with The Gothic – meet Deborah Edgeley.

Cheshire-born Deborah also is a passionate performer and spent ten years in amateur theatre, before pursuing study with the Open University – graduating with a First Class honours degree in English Literature.

She went onto become one of the early members of Ink Pantry (founded 2011), a press which grew from a social media group based around Creative Writing at The Open University. They have since worked with multiple authors including Rosie Garland, horror writer Mike Amzen and Ian Cooper – author of Witchfinder General.

Deborah has worked across the North West and takes inspiration from a number of sources, especially in her poetry – with her debut collection Testing the Delicates, illustrated by Mark Sheeky Art, out now.

In her role as wordsmith and performer in Fall in Green (along with Mark Sheeky https://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2018/08/mark-sheeky-the-eclectic-artist-bringing-us-21st-century-surrealism-and-so-much-more-b530), Deborah puts her poetry to immersive music, exploring themes including identity, isolation and understanding the imagery of the past. HAUNT Manchester spoke to Deborah to find out more about her work:

Hello Deborah! Can you tell us a little more about your creative projects and how you are inspired by the Gothic?

“Last year I wrote my first poetry collection Testing The Delicates which explores mental health, identity, isolation, memories, and understanding the past through photographs. As half of Fall In Green, a piano and poetry duo with Mark Sheeky, we have just finished recording an eclectic, cutting edge, theatrical album of the collection. We have also released our first single, with accompanying video, called Who Is Afraid/She Floats which is about suicide and is a tribute to Virginia Woolf and Ophelia.

“We are also in the process of coming up with ideas for a project about The End Of War for a performance as Fall In Green.

“I will also work on my second poetry collection before the year is out. A theme of introversion, perhaps.”

You are also Editor in Chief at Ink Pantry publishing. Have you seen the influence of the Gothic and the mysterious in the work of authors you have encountered through Ink Pantry?

“Sure. Ink Pantry have interviewed a few magical authors relating to the Gothic.

“For example there is Rosie Garland's Ink Pantry Interview plus The Night Brother by Rosie Garland: reviewed by Giles Turnbull. Horror Writer Mike Arnzen: with Claire Faulkner is another interesting example.

“There are also a number of features with writers and authors influenced by the Gothic or writing The Gothic mode, including Ian Cooper, author of Witchfinder General, Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia, and Frightmares, Horror Writer David Moody and Ministry of Zombies: Sean T. Page: with Inez de Miranda.”

You also have a poetry collection Testing The Delicates. What themes does this explore and could it be considered challenging poetry? Why do you think this is important?

“I would say Testing The Delicates is challenging poetry because it is about prejudice and expresses things which I've kept hidden all my life, therefore it was challenging to write, but also intended to be challenging for the reader, as it explores the dark side of mental health.

“My mother was bi-polar and I have tried to communicate how this affected both her and the family. In those days it was called Manic Depression, which I think is a horrible term. It also tries to give people with mental health issues a voice, especially with regard to prejudice.

“I think this is important as these experiences need to shared. People need to be educated about mental health. My mother told us very little of her past, so I tried to explore identity through photographs. The poem 'Ghostlike Cross' is about my mother's side of the family, who were German. The cover image for the collection was taken from an old photograph in 1928 and shows my family in fancy dress, with a ghost-like cross in the middle.”

Why did you choose to have Mark Sheeky’s artwork with the poems?

“I chose Mark Sheeky's Art (in the form of pen and ink) for the collection because he is intuitive, quirky, and I think a master of emotion, which was important in this collection.”

How does performing as Fall in Green transform your work and what does performance bring to poetry?

“Performing as Fall In Green has transformed my poetry. Performance brings another dimension, a theatrical twist, a layered experience, elaborating on the essence of each poem. For example, the poem 'Act One Scenes 1-12' is written as a mini play, with props and stage instructions. It is about communicating with someone who doesn't respond. Recording this with sound effects brought the idea and feeling alive, and hopefully plunges the reader into the moment with a sense of place and atmosphere. 

 “'Gauging a Life' was written as a canon, about how people measure a person's identity by their illness. The track creates the effect of identity confusion through layering voices.

“'Mannequin' highlights prejudice towards mental health. I imagined the image of the Laughing Policeman in Blackpool, and a host of people pointing and staring, poking fun, like mental illness was a circus act. This feeling is conveyed though maniacal laughter, which also mirrors of the pain of bi-polar.  Mark Sheeky's Illustration for Mannequin also adds to this.

“I also have a lifelong passion for theatre and performing in different accents, so most poems are in either posh Shakespearean, country bumpkin, Queenie from Blackadder, Liverpudlian, Mancunian, or a dodgy German accent.”

How would YOU define The Gothic and do you think it still has relevance to contemporary artistry?

“From my studies with The Open University I remember the Gothic relating to a wild, oppressive landscape, impetuosity, the uncanny, subterranean spaces, doppelgangers, dreams, dark emotions, the thin veil between worlds, spirits and obscure family ties. I think the Gothic has even more relevance to contemporary artistry. The Gothic relates to the outsider, breaking free from a contrived, restricted world. The Gothic also gives a sense of freedom in that anything impossible, any story can be told without fear of judgement. A celebration of diversity. To find beauty in hidden secrets, beauty in death, in the taboo subjects, a reminder that life is temporary. Or is it?!”

For more information about Deborah and her work, her profile is online at Ink Pantry. http://www.inkpantry.com/staff/