Based in Scotland, Marka Rifat is the author of "Second Sight", a mysterious tale set on a windswept island, soon to be published in Winter Enchantment.
How does place inspire your writing?
A physical setting brings a richness that imagination rarely matches – you have stimulation for all your senses, plus history, geography, the natural and built environment, as well as cultures, to galvanize your creativity.
A wintery clifftop in Eastern Scotland, similar to the cliffs of Mull.
What books and authors have influenced you?
I admire authors who weave compassion and ideals into their tightly crafted writing, such as Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books and Denise Mina’s Garnethill trilogy, providing entertainment 3-D characters and intricate plotting while also making you reflect on much wider topics. The brevity, logic and humour in Isaac Asimov's Robot short stories were very influential and I am in awe of Michel Faber’s range – very encouraging since the standard advice is to focus on one genre and I am constantly drawn to write in several!
How do you juggle between writing stories, poems, plays and articles?
While there are overlaps between writing modes, each uses its own set of creative muscles so that the more you exercise them, the more familiar and manageable the activity becomes. But like physical exercise, I find benefits in covering a wide range. Some topics immediately lend themselves to poetry, but then it’s fascinating to convert your poem into a story, or a play. Which form finally suits the topic best? Whatever is done, factual or fictional, it is always worth working on making every word earn its place!
Have you written about characters from folklore or mythology in other pieces?
This is a rich source of inspiration and I look forward to exploring this more. A story I wrote about George and the Dragon, imagining them finally united as comfortably settled partners and the Dragon as gender fluid, was published in a Californian anthology.
Where can we read more of your work?
Ah, if only I had a website. Some of the anthologies with my work are online.
What are you working on next?
Maybe I should tackle creating a website… Meanwhile, I am working on a series of poems about heroes and heroines, real and mythical, and stories based on works of art.
A summer forest in Scotland
Marka Rifat lives in northeast Scotland and writes stories, poems, plays and articles. Recently commended in the Saki, Toulmin and Janet Coats Memorial prizes and featured in the John Byrne Award, her work appears in more than 20 UK, North American and Australian anthologies. “Second sight” was inspired by a short break on the island of Mull.
You can read "Second Sight" in Winter Enchantment, coming out February 2023!