Güneş is part of SPINE Festival 2024, along with an incredible team of poets they’ll be leading workshops and arts activities for children in Libraries and schools across London this Spring.
Describe yourself in 3 words…
Introspective Discerning Versatile or Force of Nature
What inspires you?
Nature has always been my inspiration, however, nowadays my son is my main inspiration.
Tell us about your worst ever gig?
Struggling to be noticed or heard by a group of tired mothers scrolling on their phones & their toddlers screaming.
What’s your number one poetry pet peeve?
Poetry gate keeping.
Whose words do you love at the moment?
Currently diving deep into the world of Ursula K Le Guin’s The Word for World is Forest.
What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
Always remain true to yourself over fitting in. Trust your intuition.
How do you relate to the themes of magic & imagination?
Being an only child, I often used my imagination as a tool for escapism, creating my own characters, stories and worlds. Inspired by Greek Mythology, I loved learning about the different gods/goddesses and their special powers. These stories always remained with me since childhood.
What do you enjoy most about working with children, families and libraries?
The unpredictability and chaos of it! It’s lovely to meet and connect with people from the local community.
Do you have a favourite place to write?
My grandma’s balcony, with a view of the sea & palm trees back home in Turkiye.
About Güneş Güven
Güneş Güven is a writer, creative facilitator and ESOL specialist with over two decades of experience working with various communities across London in both academic and cultural capacities. She is dedicated to facilitating connection-driven sessions that delve into the experiences, observations, and complexities of immigrant identity and journey through language arts.
Güneş has been instrumental in developing and delivering the Open House Project as part of Spine Festival since 2015, in collaboration with Apples & Snakes across several London Boroughs. This poetry project is specifically tailored for asylum seekers and immigrant communities living in Greater London.
Her work also includes collaborations with various organizations such as Battersea Arts Centre/The Agency, The Heritage Trust, LIFT, and Chelsea Football Club Foundation. Through her diverse background and experiences, Güneş has become a bridge for communication, using language as a powerful tool for expression and connection within diverse communities.