A Conversation with Zoë Davis
Zoë Davis is a Sheffield-based writer. She studied English Literature at Lancaster University, and in her free time she enjoys playing wheelchair rugby league for the Sheffield Eagles and baking cakes. You can read her work in MIDLVLMAG, Vita & the Woolf Literary and Arts Journal, and Sabr Tooth Tiger Magazine. Her Twitter handle is @MeanerHarker.
Zoë’s poem, “Besshike-me,” can be read in Issue no. 1 of Sabr Tooth Tiger Magazine.
Gillian: Tell me about yourself! Where do you live currently? What are your preferred pronouns? What are your passions?
Zoë: My name is Zoë (she/her) and I live in Sheffield, England. We are quite prone to snow here in the North, in fact, I can see it falling outside my window as I write this! I am 42 years old and began writing seriously about three years ago.
Writing has become my anchor while navigating a condition called FND (Functional Neurological Disorder). I like to describe it as a software glitch. My brain’s "hardware" is structurally sound, but the signals it sends misfire. Before I even had a diagnosis, when my symptoms were at their worst, my primary goal was simply finding a way to get back to my poems and stories. While some days are certainly harder than others, I make a point of showing up for my writing, even if it’s only for a few minutes a day.
When I’m not working or writing, you can usually find me on the pitch playing wheelchair rugby league for Sheffield Eagles, which I absolutely adore. Everyone is so friendly and I have made such great friends. On Sunday afternoons, I shift gears to home baking. I usually spend the day making cakes, a hobby my husband is more than happy to support!
Gillian: What's your journey been like as a writer, and what's your writing process like? From your experience writing your first ever poem all the way to writing "Besshiki-me," what have you learned?
Zoë: Although I’ve always enjoyed writing and studied English Literature at Lancaster University, it wasn’t until three years ago that I really started distributing my work with a view to getting it published. I had no idea what I was doing in the early days and sent off all sorts of totally mismatched packets to the wrong lit mags. I’m so sorry to those editors! Thank goodness I discovered ChillSubs!
My very first acceptance was from MIDLVLMAG for a Christmas poem called “Secret Santa 5.30 PM,” which was a dry take on the ritual of Secret Santa in the retail industry. I remember reading the editor’s feedback (the lovely Tim Batson) saying how my poem was ‘just wonderfully wry and painful!’ I had a little happy cry as I’d never had anyone ‘get’ my work before. After that I was hooked and just kept subbing!
Since then, I have refined my work, taken on a lot of feedback and constantly try to improve my craft. I read a lot, experiment a lot, and try not to stick to just one genre. I think that’s the best way to improve. I also did a stint as a reader for Acropolis Journal. That was when I realised rejection can simply be because a piece really isn’t a good fit for that magazine. I know we hear it all the time, but sometimes there are tremendous pieces that just aren’t cohesive for an issue. Rejection always stings but I try not to take it personally. You just have to brush yourself down and throw your work back out there.
Gillian: Where do you draw your inspiration from when you write? And where did you draw inspiration from for "Besshiki-me"?
Zoë: My inspiration can honestly come from anywhere. I always have a notebook with me to jot things down (as otherwise I honestly can’t remember them). For this specific poem, the inspiration came from the fascinating history of the female guards in the Japanese Shogun’s court. These women lived in a world of extreme refinement, silks, tea ceremonies, and rigid etiquette. Yet they were lethal martial artists.
I was captivated by that duality. We often think of delicacy as something fragile, but in the case of the Besshiki-me, their grace was a discipline. The image of 'soft hands' that are also 'weapons' came from thinking about how many women navigate the world: possessing a sharp, steel-like resolve while maintaining a calm, soft exterior. I wanted to honour the fire that exists in that silence, and the way that strength is passed down from generation to generation.
Gillian: The tone of "Besshiki-me" is very powerful! I interpreted the narrator as possessing this sort of silent, gentle strength. Why did you feel like this was important to include in the poem?
Zoë: Quietness is not a lack of power but a concentration of it. I chose this tone because I believe the most dangerous part of a sword isn't the sound it makes when drawn, but the cold, quiet precision of the edge itself when used skillfully. I felt this tone was vital because there is a specific kind of authority that comes from restraint. In many depictions of warriors, strength is shown through aggression or noise, but for the Besshiki-me, their power was rooted in their invisibility and their poise. Quite beautiful, really.
Gillian: I really enjoyed the historical reference to Besshikime in this poem! Do you often include historical references in your writing?
Zoë: Yes, I do love history and it does creep into my poetry every now and again. I used to be a historical re-enactor, and although my health condition now prevents this, I do still read historical nonfiction and keep learning about history from around the world. I have a previously published poem in Vita & the Woolf Literary and Arts Journal (July 24) called Syntagma, which drew inspiration from the Macedonian phalanx… proving you really can write poetry about anything.
Gillian: What do you plan about writing next?
Zoë: I don’t have any fixed plans. I am looking to continue my poetry and prose into the New Year, as and when the mood takes me. Like many writers I have far too many WIPs that I really should finish.
I am editing the novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo currently, which was fun (and inspired by yet another trip to the hospital—yay). It’s dark academia turned romance, turned medical thriller, with a smattering of supernatural occurrences (I believe I may have just created my own genre there). I thoroughly enjoyed writing it though, the words just seemed to flow, and it didn’t feel like a struggle. If I have time I need to draw the characters, that always really cements the story for me. I totally left it with the possibility of a sequel, so who knows, I might end up writing that next.
Gillian: Any final words or things you wish to share?
Zoë: I believe creativity is a form of defiance. No matter what life throws at you, the act of making something new is a way of reclaiming power. It has helped me get through so many struggles, whether that’s writing or reading or helping someone with their own work. Be the fire for someone else when theirs is flickering. When we support each other’s voices, we ensure that none of our stories are lost to the silence. Keep creating, keep sharing, and keep lifting each other up. There is enough room for all of us to shine.
