I was born and raised in Wels, Upper Austria. After an overseas stay in England, where I worked as a translator, I returned to Austria and joined the United Nations in Vienna. After 25 years, I went abroad again—to Strasbourg, France. After retirement, I returned to Vienna, where I work as a QI-GONG teacher and write poetry.    

 

Here are some questions I am asked at readings and interviews:

 

Why do you write, what genre do you write in, and what do you love about it?

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I love poetry. I started to write as a teenager.

After vocational training as a psychological life coach, I got inspired to write again.

What I like most about writing poems is that I can process my feelings and emotions. I express my experiences and different human perceptions with my poetry.

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Why poems, of all things?

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Thoughts and emotions can be wonderfully packed in rhymes.

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What does your everyday life look like?

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Every morning I do a series of QI-GONG exercises. Once a week, I teach QI-GONG classes at the United Nations.  When the weather is nice, I go for long walks to get new inspiration for my poems. Since art has always fascinated me, I am working on a new project. I write poetry to sculptures for an artist.

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Whom would you like to address with your poems?

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My poems serve as food for thought. People who are not in the flow of life may change their point of view when picking one of the poems describing their situation.

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Why do you also write in English?

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Since English was my working language for a long time, I also wanted English speakers to be able to read my poems.

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Do you listen to music while writing?

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No, I don't. I usually write in the morning. The inspiration for my poems often comes from my dreams.

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What do you like most, and what do you dislike?

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It is important to me to meet up with friends and former colleagues from work. I love classical music, going to the theatre and laughing.

I dislike everything superficial.

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What are your hobbies besides writing?

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I love to go to theatres, to go for long walks and to read a good book. I also like to dance and meet exciting people from around the world.

 

Favourite author – why?

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Goethe because he is a wonderful poet.

 

The actor Erwin Steinhauer because he is a friend and tells beautiful stories about his life. He is also a poet and cabaret artist.

 

Marie Anders because she writes exciting mystery novels, and I can’t get enough of them.

 

Favourite book - why?

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Goethe ‘Zum Vergnügen’ because it can be very exhilarating.

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Favourite movie - why?

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Gone with the Wind. A great movie that contains everything, feelings, suspense, and passion.