ANDREA WITZKE SLOT
author, artist
author, artist
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Author of the poetry collections The Ministry of Flowers (Valley Press 2020) and To find a new beauty (Gold Wake Press 2012), Andrea Witzke Slot writes poetry and fiction and her work has won prizes with Able Muse and Fiction International and placed in over a dozen competitions, She had a poem shortlisted for the Bridport this year and another poem longlisted with the National Poetry Competition, which is now featured at Poetry Wales as part of their online interview series. Her work can be found in such places as The Rialto, Stand Magazine, Ambit, Acumen, Under the Radar, Southeast Review, American Literary Review, Litro UK and Litro US, Lunch Ticket, Rappahannock Review, and many more. Andrea lives in London and is a contributing artist with Fiona Lesley’s award-winning Poetry Exchange. She works daily to capture the unexpected meeting grounds of the human and natural worlds in words, paints, piano and photography. |
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The Ministry of Flowers,
Andrea's latest book
is available from Valley Press
The Poetry Book Society,
Amazon UK and Amazon US
Andrea's latest book
is available from Valley Press
The Poetry Book Society,
Amazon UK and Amazon US
|
."Andrea Witzke Slot is a multi-talented poet, artist and photographer who has not only produced a highly original collection, but also illustrated it with delicate pen and ink drawings. The Ministry of Flowers [her latest collection of poems] was many years in the making, and this is reflected in the variety and quantity of the work...I can’t do justice in such a short review to this rich and varied poetry collection that speaks of our shared humanity, vulnerability and connection to others in beautifully crafted poems of great depth and resonance. I keep returning to the book to read them again. I can only recommend that you get yourself a copy and enjoy them for yourself. -Emma Storr -- see the full review at London Grip
‘These poems will break your heart but leave you feeling uplifted, more grateful to be alive.’ — Faisal Mohyuddin ‘A collection that will resonate long after you have turned the last page.’ — Fiona Bennett ‘I’d begun to think that no poetry could reach me this year … I am, gratefully, shaken.’ — Valerie Wallace ‘A compassionate recorder of our fallible bodies, broken hearts and enduring loves.’ — Tamar Yoseloff ‘Poignant hymns to the transformative nature of life’s experiences. Uplifting, intelligent and immensely engaging.’ — Vanessa Gebbie ‘These poems reach right in and keep the glow of humanity burning. Incredible writing … they take my breath away literally, invoking more senses than I thought I had.’ — Hafsah Aneela Bashir |
Sign up here to get the latest news and Podcasts of Fiona Lesley Bennett's Award Winning Poetry Exchange.
Previous podcasts with Andrea and other PE contributing artists speaking to guests about a poem that's been a friend to them are here:
- Love Song For Words by Nazik Al-Malaika - A Friend to Maryam
- The Republic of Motherhood by Liz Berry - A Friend to Ana
- The Fury Of Overshoes by Anne Sexton - A Friend to Laura
- De Ceder / The Cedar by Han G. Hoekstra - A Friend to Alida
- Dich / You by Erich Fried - A Friend To Katharine
- Last Post By Carol Ann Duffy - A Friend To Jackie
- Proem by Martin Carter - A Friend to Nicholas
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FROM THE MINISTRY OF FLOWERS
Valley Press 2022 
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FROM TO FIND A NEW BEAUTY
Gold Wake Press, 2012 
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A lifelong educator, Andrea has taught and mentored students ages 3-83. She was a primary teacher in the UK in the 1990s, taught at Collin College in Texas as a full-time faculty member, and, after receiving her doctorate, joined the faculty as a lecturer in the English Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago. During her years in Chicago, she taught many community-based workshops and worked as a poetry editor with Rhino Poetry and a book review editor at Fifth Wednesday,
With an emphasis on multiple viewpoints and understanding the interconnections of human and natural life, Andrea writes work for both adults and children that inspires compassion for each other and for the natural world too. Both serious and humorous in turn (sometimes in the same space), Andrea considers herself an ecopoet and a writer who listens and gives voice to both people and our planet. She loves to experiment with form and content in both poetry and prose.
Andrea's PhD is from the University of Texas at Dallas and her academic work focuses on poetry, dialogue, and social change with a special interest in poetry that incorporates distinct voices and varying ideological perspectives. Her doctoral chapters on Harryette Mullen and Julia Alvarez have been included in academic anthologies used in university classrooms: Dialogism and Poetry: Hearing Over, published by Palgrave Macmillan and Inhabiting "La Patria": Identity, Agency, and "Antojo" in the Work of Julia Alvarez by SUNY Press.
With an emphasis on multiple viewpoints and understanding the interconnections of human and natural life, Andrea writes work for both adults and children that inspires compassion for each other and for the natural world too. Both serious and humorous in turn (sometimes in the same space), Andrea considers herself an ecopoet and a writer who listens and gives voice to both people and our planet. She loves to experiment with form and content in both poetry and prose.
Andrea's PhD is from the University of Texas at Dallas and her academic work focuses on poetry, dialogue, and social change with a special interest in poetry that incorporates distinct voices and varying ideological perspectives. Her doctoral chapters on Harryette Mullen and Julia Alvarez have been included in academic anthologies used in university classrooms: Dialogism and Poetry: Hearing Over, published by Palgrave Macmillan and Inhabiting "La Patria": Identity, Agency, and "Antojo" in the Work of Julia Alvarez by SUNY Press.