After years of writing on her experiences in the Blue Mountains in NSW, Samantha Lee Curran is headed to France to leave a piece of home overseas.
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The Wentworth Falls poet will be spending February at Chateau d'Orquevaux, an International Artist and Writers residency in the Champagne region of France.
She is among a small group of accepted residents, out of applicants from around 120 different countries.
"When I applied for this thing, I just saw it and was like 'oh, it's never gonna happen... I'll apply anyway, you never know'. And I was really surprised, I wasn't expecting to be accepted," Mrs Curran said.
Mrs Curran released a self published poetry collection in 2018, titled as the seasons pass by. Her next collection, exposure to existence, will be released on February 15.
"My biggest inspiration is definitely my experiences. I write a lot about memories and experiences and emotions and dreams attached to experiences," she said.
"I suppose a lot of my experiences have happened in the Mountains, because I've lived here my whole life."
At Chateau d'Orquevaux, Mrs Curran will have a place to think, write, and mingle with other artists. The Chateau holds open studio days as well, where people can witness painters or other artists in their creative processes.
At the end of her stay Mrs Curran will be asked to provide a new piece of work, which will remain in the Chateau's gallery.
She said she is excited to represent her home town with this piece, and "share a bit of the Blue Mountains with other artists and an audience from around the world".
Beyond developing her writing, though, Mrs Curran hopes her success inspires local creatives to seize any opportunities they can find.
"I'd like to [encourage] other artists to go for things that seem out of reach... I just hope that if someone reads this... I could give them the encouragement to do the same thing," she said.
"Because you never know where it will take you."
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She is also thankful to the Blue Mountains for nurturing her growth as a writer.
"The Blue Mountains loves to encourage their community and the people that live there, and I think that - on top of the nature and the lifestyle - it all works together to inspire my work," she said.
You can learn more about Mrs Curran and her poetry on her website at https://samanthaleecurran.com.au/. as the seasons pass by can be purchased from Dymocks, Amazon, and more retailers listed on her website.
