Lakshmi Bertram
Let’s start with the basics; I’ve got six kids, all of them adults which means they’re giving me more sleepless nights now than when they were little, but at least I don’t have to wash their dishes or do their laundry – unless they’re visiting home.
Their father and I are still married. Fun fact, we decided to get married after we’d known each other for three days and are still together an unmentionable number (think 35+) of years later.
I’m a Colorado, USA, native and now a British Citizen living in Scotland, with a thirty-six year interim stint as a resident of Yogaville, Virginia, USA. Yes, you read that right, I grew up in an American Ashram.
In fall of 2023, I was accepted into Northumbria University’s MA in Creative Writing Program. I am enrolled part-time, with projected graduation December 2025. The program has been incredible, better than expected, and my artist self and my writing have both benefited.
I read constantly. Books are how I relax, escape, and unplug from daily life struggles. I am usually reading about five books at a time in a mix of fiction and non-fiction.
I am a published author, though not for a really long time! Turns out raising six kids doesn’t support a writing career. I had a non-fiction book published in 2000, Choosing Waterbirth: Reclaiming the Sacred Power of Birth. All six of our kids were born naturally, in water. That seemed a story worth telling and it appears that it was. I’ve received emails from women all over the world who took something positive from reading the book – which is my definition of success.
If you’ve read my website, you’ll know I write poetry and have written vignettes. I love words, how a single sentence can evoke feeling. I wake up to poems floating about in my head, they come to me while driving, showering, working in the garden, walking, thinking, not thinking, during dinner, during conversations, well, you get the drift.
In my most recent academic term, I had the opportunity to work on poetry, the poetic fruits of which I am now in the process of submitting to literary and poetry journals for consideration. It’s a nerve-wracking process that usually begins with a lot of rejection. But, it is the established route to publication for poets these days so I figured I ought to crack on.
My biggest writing challenge is still The Novel. I did complete one manuscript and queried a few agents but, as the MA commenced, I could see why it wasn’t picked up. I hope to get back to it once I’ve graduated, but, truth be told, poetry has taken hold and may never let me go. We shall see.
I hope this day finds you well and committed to being your best self and that you are living fully the life you always wanted!
Lakshmi Bertram 