Introducing Sophia-Maria Nicolopoulos

Sophia-Maria Nicolopoulos is a Content Editor of fiction from Greece. She chooses to see her writing as the kind Ophelia would write had she navigated a world of boundless horror. She writes to make sense of said world and shed light on the obscure places where reality meets the surreal. She hates the taste of fresh tomatoes, and she loves cheese. In her free time, she removes cat hair from her clothes. Sophia-Maria joined us as a book reviewer recently, and you can find her articles on our blog.

When did you become a poet? How did you know it was the right medium for your stories?

I don’t consider myself a full-fledged poet yet, to be completely honest, as I’m just starting to get to know my own writing voice and the truths I want to include in my poems. I like poetry that is strong, has social undertones and has vivid imagery—since I’m also writing short stories, I tend to think of multiple ideas for multiple stories at the same time. So, incorporating these ideas through poetry came almost naturally to me, as I’m able to weave many worlds simultaneously and share some of my deepest fears and concerns. 

What inspires you to write? 

I’ve always been more of an introvert, so my mind holds many thoughts and feelings that I have yet to share with the rest of the world. I really think of poetry as the only candle at night when I’m processing my emotions and my ideas in a silent room. I’m not going to lie, my inspirations stem mostly from my own feelings about my past, present and future, and they can be both negative and positive. That doesn’t mean that these emotions are not connected with the bigger picture. I love combining the macro- with the micro- as our existence cannot but be defined by the context that it belongs to. For me, poetry (and any writing by extension) should be emotive, visual, raw and confessional because this is how you make an impact. 

Who are some of your literary or artistic crushes or influences?

Many claim that I’m a hopeless romantic because of the way my writing reads. However, I tend to disagree since I most often pair romance with tragedy, sadness and darkness to speak truths about the human condition. Thus, my influences could be limited to the following long list: William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, H.P Lovecraft, Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, Ray Bradbury, T.S Eliot, Adrienne Rich, Olga Broumas,  Neil Gaiman, and Shea Ernshaw—all these authors share the same qualities of tragedy and bittersweetness in a speculative fiction and horror backdrop that I love to read for and write about. Their work is also deeply personal, and it reflects not only their own insecurities and concerns, but humanity’s most troubling truths. They also use the five senses exquisitely to portray characters and show their struggles with the mundane or the cosmic. I also admire Anna Akhmatova’s and Marian Tsvetaeva’s poetry because it unsettles me. 

What are you currently reading? 

Apart from being an aspiring writer and poet, I’m also an avid reader, so currently, I’m reading Samantha Shannon’s “The Priory of the Orange Tree.” I’m a huge fan of fantasy and young adult or new adult books, so my next picks will be “Lore” by Alexandra Bracken and “The Bone Witch” trilogy by Rin Chupeco. 

What are you working on next/what was your last project? 

This year has taught me that I should declutter my mental space and stay away from toxic relationships as much as possible. As a result, I’m striving to leave a congruent lifestyle by combining my profession and my hobbies. Ever since I started working as a Content Editor of fiction, I realized my burning need to produce more pieces of fiction and poetry. As a result, this year I’ll be focusing on writing my first poetry chapbook and submitting it to as many publishing houses as I can. Also, I’d love to polish some of my unedited short stories and submit these to online magazines. Finally, I’d love to seriously start fleshing out my first ever YA fantasy novel.  

Tag three of your favourite IG poets we should read: 

This is not exactly tagging, but an honourable mention to all those magnificent people that I got published within the first-ever printed magazine by Small Leaf Press. “Jaden” can be purchased or read online and my deeply personal poem “Father, Forgive Me” inspired by my experience with my father’s illness can be found there too. This was the first time I saw a poem of mine in print, and I was almost in tears when I got the copy in my hands. 

What are some common themes you see in your own work? 

Fear of letting go, unrequited love, wishful thinking and human vs. the universe imagery. I write about regrets too. Social issues and feminism are also deeply engraved in my writings. Love is definitely rooted at the core of my work since it assumes multiple dimensions, family love, sisterly or brotherly love, forbidden love, atypical love. I always start from one point of reference like an object, a movement or a voice and at the very end, said point is either elevated or cursed or both. 

Do you feel that sharing your poetry is a vulnerable process? 

It definitely is. I’m still so fearful of the process of sharing as I’m really laying bare my soul to my writings and having people reading through them terrifies me the most. I’m still coping with my fear of uncertainty, but I believe sharing poetry with others has helped me a lot in dealing with it. 

Do you take poetry classes or read books on poetry? 

I’d love to take on some poetry classes and read more books on poetry! I’ve read many books on novel and short story mechanics, and this summer I want to invest time and money in researching poetry with the help of other poets. 

What does "good poetry" mean to you? 

Good poetry should be emotive, raw, unsettling and haunting. It should stick to your mind—never letting go. Poetry like this urges you to dig deep and understand your complexities. It must urge you to peel yourself and get to your core. Good poetry contains images that you connect with but provoke your psyche. It’s intentionally upsetting by deliciously satisfying. 

How do you research for your poems?

I have benefitted so much from the use of prompts, and I’m so happy they have helped me beat my writer’s block. At the same time, I love researching urban legends and myths, so part of my poetry is also inspired by retelling stories and giving voice to the oppressed. 

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The poetry anthology in which the poem “Father, Forgive Me” can be found.