North Yorkshire Artist: Teresa Stenson

Teresa is a short story writer and she lives in York. Asked why write, she said, ‘I’d like to become a writer who I want to read.’

Perhaps refusing to be torn between teaching and writing, she left her previous job as a teacher, to allow herself more time with the writing projects. She has always wanted to devote her time in this way since years ago.

Teresa is a self-confident writer. Recently, one of her short stories ‘But in the Voice’ has not only been published in the second issue of the Hum-drum Magazine, but it was made into a short film by Teresa and local filmmakers in York, including Miles Watts from Hum-drum/Miles to Go Productions.

Watch the film on MySpace.

The film ‘But in the Voice’ celebrates the result of combined art forms. The images portrayed are so vivid that the filming of her text enhances the fluency of it. Narrated and acted by Teresa herself, the film is viewed by her as a separate work from the original. Yet, interestingly, through this film, the audience are at the same time reminded of the fascination of story-telling. In this case it is told/acted by the author herself, with background music from Helen Batty.

Teresa’s short stories take up the vivacious pace one finds in her. She enjoys putting words together, listening to the sounds of them. As for a reason for choosing this genre, she said she saw value in writing with conciseness. It is an important feature that she enjoys working on.

Surely in the recesses of her mind there is a fount of creativity that supplies Teresa with ideas for her short stories. ‘York is a great place for creativity to come to fruition,’ she reveals. Her surrounding helps too, as apparently she is an excellent observer.