Issue 3 Star- Gazette

Oskar
Leonard
POETRY CONTEST WINNER
Oskar Leonard is a
trans author and poet
from the UK, as well
as a senior editor at
The Altruist, a poetry
and prose editor at All
Ears India and a
creative writing intern
at FOURALL
Magazine. He has
written seven books:
three novels, two
poetry anthologies, a
short story collection
and a novella. His
pieces have been
featured in
publications like Ogma
Magazine, Potted
Purple Mag, Fever
Dream Journal and
Juven.
1. Your poem was widely appreciated, what
inspired you to write that?
As a lot of my work is, this poem was inspired by
nature, specifically that nature that I find
around me, and love. I find it beautiful to meld
the romantic with the natural and to take two
worlds, that of human love and animal beauty,
and blend them together. It is very similar to
many of the works in my last collection, Our
Paused World, with the focus on birds stemming
from a deep respect for the creatures which I
am currently expressing in my next collection,
On Gentle Wings. I think we are privileged to be
able to write down and record what we see
around us, especially when it is often so
harmonious and tender.
2. Whose work has influenced you most?
This is a difficult question. Many of the poets
who I have studied have formed part of my
poetic voice, such as Carol Ann Duffy and Philip
Larkin. My favourite authors, such as Bram
Stoker, Oscar Wilde, George R.R. Martin,
Wendy Moore and many, many others, colour
my writing, although they have contrasting
styles and genres. Perhaps that's why I write in
so many different ways. I love to read almost
everything, so I suppose it is natural that I like
to keep a lot of variety in my written work as
well.