Local author spotlight: Meet Annika Hagen

Coverstory is Paper Covers Rock's ongoing interview series exploring the people, books, ideas, and art that inspire us.

Annika Hagen’s creative pursuits span poetry, screenwriting, filmmaking, printmaking, alternative process photography & video art. Before moving to Salt Spring Island in 2016, Annika worked in the film industry as a writer, story department coordinator, executive producer’s assistant, and most extensively as a script supervisor. A focal point of her multi-disciplinary work has always been the moving picture in some format. She is moved by the desire to capture a fleeting moment or a glimpsed reflection, with a nudge toward nostalgia.

What’s your preferred writing set-up/location?
I love a good cafe for writing, pen and paper in a moleskin.

Do you have favourite writing prompts, warm-ups, or exercises?
I should collect more of these kinds of daily routines. Honestly when I write there is a lot of waiting, staring at a blank page, shower thoughts or gathering small kernels and notes in my writing app. But then at some point the tides rise, a levee breaks and the floodgates open.

What are you listening to on repeat right now?
Generally Radiohead. Ambient electronic stuff or Jazz/Blues.

What’s a secret about Salt Spring that you don’t mind sharing with readers?
A personal tidbit; I came to the island first in 1989, when I was 11, to attend Camp Narnia. My family fell in love with the island and moved here the same summer. I continued to attend or work at Camp Narnia for many subsequent years.

Who’s another writer you look up to?
Known, Carlie Blume. Unknown, I’ve been enjoying Rachel Cusk.

What’s a book you have recently recommended to a friend?
Probably All Fours by Miranda July.

What’s one thing you know about writing or publishing now, that you wish you knew starting out as a writer?
It is not so much a new revelation. But still reminding myself about the consistency and practice required and resilience to keep believing in yourself and not letting the naysaying thoughts and voices deter your persistence.

Lastly, give us one good clickable link.
This makes my rabbit-hole prone AuDHD brain very content:
Every Noise at Once - field recordings people uploaded from around the world.

You can find Annika’s poetry chapbook, Same Roads Traversed, which feature her poetry and cyanotype photographs, for sale at Mavericks Coffee & Ice Cream (located at the Jam Factory on Salt Spring Island, 319 Upper Ganges Rd) for the month of January.

And out of three local author spotlights, two have suggested All Fours, so you should probably read that now if you haven’t already?

While I have the local Salt Springers on the line, I’d like to ask you to consider donating your Country Grocer receipts to the Paper Covers Rock Society. That’s digital box #90 (you can scan your receipt at either of the two main exit doors). It all adds up and helps a lot! TYSM!

Until the next one,
Terri