Meet Maddie Lama Sjåtil - SWF21 Pitchapalooza Winner!
Maddie Lama Sjåtil
Maddie is a dental surgeon originally from London, U.K. and currently residing in Oslo, with her Norwegian husband and four children. She writes literary fiction, short stories and poetry, with her work published in several anthologies, magazines and blogs.
Currently Maddie is working on her debut novel, after pitching the synopsis at the SWF21 and having won the Pitchapalooza first place prize from The Book Doctors.
She is also the founder of All the World’s A Poem, a soon to be published anthology from around the world.
A fairly common thread in the SWF community is that many of us have dreamed of writing for years before we ever had the time, resources, or ability to sit down and actually do it. When did you first decide writing was something that you wanted to actively pursue, and then how long was it before you started writing seriously?
I have always been writing stories and poetry from a young age, but I managed to get back into seriously writing fiction, after winding down a long career in dentistry, and while pregnant with my fourth child, 8 years ago. At the same time I joined the newly-formed Oslo Writers League.
The support from like-minded international and Norwegian writers was just the encouragement I needed. Our sixth anthology is due for release this year, in which I have a short story.
What is your primary creative writing genre, and did this change over the years, or has this always been your main focus?
My main creative writing genre has always been literary fiction, in the form of short stories, and writing prose and poetry. After devoting some serious time to writing again, my focus has indeed changed over the last couple of years, and I am now attempting to write a novel.
Can you tell us about some of your favorite SWF moment(s) and what really stuck with you after the festivals?
Some of my favourite SWF moments have been the smaller workshops (and on Zoom, the breakout rooms). Here you can choose your genre and preferred speaker, and the sessions have been intimate and inspiring. What stuck with me after the festivals, was that yes, I can actually do this writing thing! And there are so many others like me doing the same thing, at the same stage.
What would you say were the biggest takeaways for you from SWF?
The biggest takeaways from the festivals are, without a doubt, the many fellow writers and now friends, I have met and stayed in touch with, both those attending and those involved in SWF. Attending workshops, in particular with Jess Lourey and Kim Golden in the first festival were particularly informative and inspiring. I am hoping to take one of Jess’s writers retreats in the future.
Do you recall any moments that helped clarify things in a new way, or provided new insights into specific areas of the craft?
A particular moment that helped clarify things in a new way was meeting Amy Cherry from Norton publishing NYC. I didn’t actually have anything to pitch at that time so we just chatted about an idea of mine. She certainly helped to dispel any fears or pre-conceived ideas I may have had about the publishing industry, and encouraged me to just get on with it!
How have you evolved as a writer since attending your first Stockholm Writers Festival, and what part did the festival itself play in that evolution?
Since attending the first festival in 2018, my writing has evolved in the way in that I’m no longer afraid to try new challenges.
I would say the experience definitely inspired me to start writing a novel, something I thought I would never do, and to work on an idea putting together a poetry anthology, when the pandemic hit in 2020.
It definitely gave me the confidence to pitch my novel synopsis to an agent this year at SWF ‘21 and also to enter the Pitchapazoola 1 minute contest; which I won! The highlight of SWF ’21 of course for me.
Overall, has attending SWF helped you in pursuing the “path to published," and if so, how?
Yes, overall attending SWF has definitely helped in pursuing the ‘path to published.’
Listening to the panel discussions and taking workshops from published authors, some who had just released their debut novels, was inspiring and encouraging.
The workshops discussing traditional and self-publishing pathways, has shown me that there is always a pathway to published if you have the self-belief. I have since been researching both, taking courses and staying informed.
If you plan on attending SWF22, (and we certainly hope you do) is there anything specific that you hope to learn more about this time around?
I’m looking forward to attending SWF 22 hopefully in person in Stockholm again. I would like to learn a bit more about digital publishing, and the various platforms available.
We asked Maddie to include a short piece that she’s written — a short poem, a 100-word story, something creative that we could share with you all for inspiration. This is her poem titled “Lemon Drop”. Enjoy!
Lemon Drop
Maddie Lama Sjåtill
I’m the only one who knows you adore yellow
Watched you cradle a broken bird
And stamp on a poetry book
snapping its spine
Snapping my breath
Then screaming
You cried alone
I hid
invisible
I know how you escape like a prisoner on the run
And you run
And you hide like me and shake,
While your mum whimpers inside
while your dad stands at the door cracking his knuckles
I wish he would drop down dead. Or be boiled alive.
The most popular boy at school,
With a smile like fake meat
You’d clean sweep the Oscars
Read out your tear stained speech
The one I’ve already written for you
I hear you sigh
Almost imperceptible
But I’m attuned to you now
Like a misshapen arial being battered in a storm on a rooftop
They edge closer, the swarm of buzzing girls
If only they knew they should dress in honey colours.
The interference makes my head hurt
They swat each other and sting each others eyes
All vying to be your prom queen bee
You frown down at your conversed feet
They are the colour of dull mud
You have an unworn pair in a sunnier hue
My eyes water at you from across the cafeteria then I close them tight
The tiny men with hammers continue the assault on my skull
Maybe they will knock me unconscious
My never-held hands smooth my creamy buttercup skirt
but the pleats remain confused
I stand up edging along the wall like a fake blind man
The sniggering begins at once like a pack of dogs
sniffing out a forgotten bone
I do not see who you choose.
You can learn more about Maddie when her website is launched, or by connecting on Social Media, and of course, reading more of her work in the anthologies listed below:
Website (Coming Soon): www.maddielamasjatil.com
You can connect with Maddie on these Social media accounts:
Instagram: @maddielamasjatil or on Twitter: @Msjatil
You can purchase and read more published works by Maddie Lama Sjåtil in these Anthologies: