Sandy Woods meets a young Westville student who has just published her first book.
Tarryn Lea has named her first published poetry collection An Ocean of Wine. “I called it that because it’s about life. When you become an adult, you must develop a taste for it, like wine. It’s for young adults and for those dealing with relationships, grief, breakups, mental health and trauma,” she says. The third-year psychology and criminology student has written poetry since she was 12.
“After I was bullied, someone told me to write down my feelings. They said that it didn’t matter what they were, but that I should just write it all down. Over time, I realised this could be something. I started with simple poetry, nothing like what I write today,” says Tarryn. “I would love to write more books in the future, and to build on the momentum of the publication of my first collection.”
The poet shared her work on Instagram early in 2022. She found an American publisher, called Squirrel House, asking for submissions. She sent the company 15 of her best poems.
“I got a reply saying they’d like to see more, so I sent 200 poems written over a six-year period and got a response confirming they’d like to publish my work. I looked at my phone four times before it sank in. Now, the book is available to purchase on Amazon. The feeling is just unreal,” says Tarryn.
Reviews have been positive, with readers commending her on the honesty of her work. A poem dealing with grief is one of Tarryn’s favourites, one she wrote following her cousin’s death. “The poem talks about feeling an overpowering sense of anger until you realise the anger’s real name is grief, and that washes over you. It is one of my most profound ones as it still resonates with me today,” she says.
Following the launch of her poetry collection, connecting with fans on social media, has given Tarryn great joy. “I get a hello from Nepal or from Hawaii, and places I’ve never even heard of before. It’s incredible, I just never thought I could connect with people from so far away, so easily,” she says.
Tarryn believes that her experience of bullying ultimately made her a better person. “It made me grow up quite a bit, and even though it was unpleasant, it made me a more empathetic person – which even now I apply to my psychology studies.”
Describing herself as an extrovert, Tarryn thrives in the Pretoria student environment. “It’s the more the merrier when it comes to me, so when we go to the sports bar to play pool, we’ll invite everyone we know. It’s like an army charging in there to play a tournament. I’m extroverted and like to have a lot of people around. I love it there, but I miss Durban. I get excited when I’m landing at the airport and I can see the sea in the distance,” she smiles.
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