Interview with Kaycee Syan Hill - by Inghild Lea
Having received well over one hundred submissions, the Editorial Board of Vortex have had their hands full this year – a luxurious problem. The 2019 edition will truly further the journal’s tradition of publishing the highest quality work from Creative Writing students across each academic year, as they have had so many incredible pieces to look through. A wide range of choices raises the bar for being selected, but the extra competition will inevitably make it a sweeter victory for those selected for publication.
Kaycee Syan Hill is a series of exclamation marks when she hears how many pieces the Editorial Board considered when they chose two of her poems. She’s been excited about getting published since first receiving the news, but there is no doubt that this extra piece of information adds a layer of the sense of accomplishment. She’s always recognised poetry to be her biggest strength, but having it published for the first time is an important affirmation that it is indeed good enough for others to see. Her appearance in Vortex might suggest a shift from writing for herself to pursuing it as a career.
Like many writers, her love for writing started with a love for reading. She has a strong memory of being given a copy of Anne Frank’s Diary by a teacher, which she read at the age of seven. By the time she started writing herself, she had finished a number of other books, as well as primary school. She would write poems in her diary or short pieces of fiction, and she did consistently well in the creative writing portion of her English exams.
Though Kaycee would never describe herself as a one-trick pony and still enjoys writing short stories, she admits that she’s always found it easier to write poetry.
“It’s a really good way of keeping your brain working, as it means you’re constantly writing,” she says, referring to how she’s often typing down notes on her phone whenever inspiration strikes, whether it be on her way to work or home from a lecture.
The two poems that will be appearing in print were first submitted as an assignment for her Poetry module in Year 1. They are very different from each other, and she highlights, with a smile on her face, that two such contrasting poems are both being appreciated by the Editorial Board. Whereas “The Collector” was inspired by a poem by Ted Hughes in one of the earlier sessions, then developed and improved throughout the module, “Polystyrene Cup” was a piece of flash poetry that was included last minute to bump up the word count. In her feedback, the lecturer advised her to send her work to Vortex. Had it not been for this comment, the thought would probably never have crossed her mind.
Eager to recommend others to try out for next year’s edition, she shares some of her own reflections from last spring. A big selling point for her was that there are no fees for submitting, as it often is in other magazines or writing competitions. The journal allows for up to four poems in addition to a piece of prose or pages of script, and if none of these are selected, there is always the chance to try again the next year.
“What did I have to lose?” Kaycee asks. For her, the acceptance email proved that she is on the right track. Writing poetry is something she wants to do for the rest of her life, and now she has something to show others, which she knows she can be proud of.
View past editions of Vortex here
Kaycee’s two poems will be included in the 2019 edition of Vortex. The journal will be launched on Monday 8th April at 7:30pm at Winchester Theatre Royal with 'Out of the Vortex': a special showcase of verse, story, music and song, as the very best of Vortex is brought to life on stage. #OUTOFTHEVORTEX
Book tickets for 'Out of the Vortex' here
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