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Damon Lord performing poetry at 42 Worcester |
My name's Damon Lord,
I'm a poet, writer, linguist, and I'm also interested in history. When you type my name into Google, it
likes to ask: “did you mean Demon Lord?” No, I didn't! I've
decided to update my bio here, so here's a bit about me. If you want
to read the old version of my bio, then click here.
Originally from south
Wales, I have lived and thrived in Worcester. England, since I
started coming here in 2002, before finally making it my home in
2008. I now live here with my wife and son.
I have numerous and
varied interests.
Poetry: I have been
writing poetry now and then for years, but hardly ever did. In 2012,
I decided to take it seriously, and it's become something I've become
known for locally in Worcestershire. My first independently published
book, “Enigma in the Darkness”, followed in 2013, making the top
15 in the poetry bestsellers on Amazon. It will be followed in late
2014 by my next book of poetry. I am also working on a series of
poems dedicated to a late academic I admire from Boston,
Massachusetts, USA.
In addition, I have been a finalist three years in a row for the Worcestershire Poet Laureate contest, 2012-4.
In addition, I have been a finalist three years in a row for the Worcestershire Poet Laureate contest, 2012-4.
Speculative Fiction: I
adore reading and writing horror, science fiction, fantasy, and all
the various other nuances that come under the spec-fic umbrella, and
have loved it since forever. There's nothing better than sitting down
to watch a good sci-fi series, read a fun fantasy, or get embroiled
in the terror of a creepy book. I enjoy all of these, and furthermore
I love writing them too. I have written numerous dark short stories,
I have a fantasy novel completed (but not yet published), and
currently have a sci-fi novel on the back-burner, with plans to
complete it next year, which has the potential to progress into a series.
I am a great admirer of the works of Arthur
Machen, H.P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, and Mary Shelley, as well as modern masters, such
as Adam Millard, Tim Lebbon, Stephen King, Lesley Smith, and George R. R. Martin. I am an active performer of both poetry and prose at 42Worcester, the region's premier monthly venue for genre fiction and
poetry.
History: History has
always been one of my greatest loves. I currently live in a house
built on the site of the Battle of Worcester in 1651, particularly
where Hamilton's forces fought against the Parliamentarians below
Perry Wood, to the east of the city. No reported ghosts, for those
who are curious. What's even more curious is that so many locals seem
unaware of the historical significance of the land beneath their very
feet.
Of great interest to me
are the Anglo-Saxon period of English history, especially in the
later stages with the rise of the Godwin family. This culminated of
course in the events of 1066 and the fall of King Harold II. I am a
member of Ða Engliscan Gesiðas (The English
Companions), I have plans for a
creative writing project for this period, which is in progress.
I am very keen on the
period of the Owain Glyndŵr rebellion of 1400 – 1415, in which
Owain was the last true native prince of Wales. I am driven to study
what inspired him, and what ultimately destroyed him and his
rebellion. It is a fascinating period of history, and I am currently
actively working on a creative writing project set it this time.
The cultures of
pre-Columbian North America are also highly attractive and complex. I
absolutely love the novels of the prolific, educational and
entertaining Zoe Saadia, who focuses on these (primary the Mexica
valley), and she is a great inspiration for my historical writing,
although I focus on different periods and geography. Sue Harrison's
The Ivory Carver Trilogy lends great insight into ancient culture in
what is now Alaska, and are also firm favourites.
Languages: I am truly a
language enthusiast. I absolutely love exploring linguistics and
languages. I speak numerous languages, to varying levels, from
strongest to very weak:
English
Esperanto
Esperanto
German
French
Tagalog
Mandarin Chinese
Italian
toki pona
British Sign Language
Dutch
Old English
(Anglo-Saxon)
Japanese
I have a smattering of Scandinavian languages,but not enough to have much of a conversation.
(I'll write a page
about my relationship with each of these language later.)
As a linguistic
challenge, I intend to keep a weekly diary of my blossoming
relationship with the Dutch language, as I have now begun to formally
study it, beginning October 2014.
I'd love to learn ALL
the languages in the world. My personal goal is to be able to speak
at least 86 languages before I die.
I want to improve:
Chinese (汉语)
I lived in Beijing for 6 months. I used to be able to speak good
Chinese, but I have forgotten a lot of it.
German (Deutsch) Ich
verbessere zur Zeit mein Deutsch.
I want to learn:
Dutch (Nederlands) Ik
leer sinds september 2014.
Welsh (Cymraeg) I suppose I should learn it, after all, as I'm from Wales.
Cornish (Kernowek) The
language is seriously endangered and deserves great support, having
been brought back from extinction, endured a virulent 20-year long
orthographic civil war amongst its speakers, and now is finally being
taken forward seriously. I have a great respect for this language.
Spanish (español) I
learned some summer 2013 for a trip to Spain
Korean (한국어)
I tried before, but didn't get far, only working on hangeul - it's a
wonderful language with an amazing history and culture.
Hebrew (עִבְרִית)
a beautiful, proud language and strong and tenacious culture, I've always wanted to learn it! עם
ישראל חי
Icelandic (íslenska)
(I have a GREAT interest in this language; I have ALWAYS wanted to
learn it!)
Swedish (svenska) and
Danish (dansk) I love Scandinavia, and want to visit Denmark too!
Anglo-Saxon/Old English (Englisc) It's a fascinating language, and much neglected for study, highly
worthy of study, to understand the modern English language in greater
depth.
Kazakh (Қазақ
тілі) An interesting land and language, regretfully often
overlooked by people in Europe. It would be interesting to learn all
about it!
Russian (if life had
turned out differently when I was 19, I would be speaking Russian
already!)