Maria Tosti was born in 1965 in Perugia and lives in Ponte Pattoli, a small Umbrian town crossed by the river Tiber. She writes poems since adolescence. She participated at several national poetry awards along the years, getting many appreciations. She was also awarded by Eugenio Leopardi, a descendant of the family of the famous Italian poet of Recanati, Giacomo Leopardi. Her poetry is a path of reflections and considerations on the human existence and the life experiences. Creating is a breath of art for her, and setting the emotions on the paper is to give voice to the inspiration that comes from inside with insistence. She is convinced that Poetry doesn’t belong only to the intellectuals, but it belongs to everybody because it is a universal message destined to touch the strings of the sensitivity of each individual, permeating the nuances of his feeling. She likes writing poetry in other languages too, such as English, Spanish and French. One of her poems has been published from the Chongjing Southwest University Journal (China) in the year 2008. She also wrote the text of some songs in Italian, looking for a new way of expression and a new artistic technique. Two of her texts have been set to music, one by the Italian composer Pasqualino Moscatelli, and the other by the master Daniel Cianelli.

Alok Mishra: Congratulations on the publication of your book, Maria. How do you feel seeing your book in print?  

Maria Tosti: I cannot still believe my eyes; although more than a year has passed after the publication! The first time that I have leafed through the pages of my book, I have been touched! My book is for me a real gift. Yes, because my poems were not born with the desire to be published, but it’s happened and I cannot be other than recognizing for that. First of all, I’m grateful to my publisher THOTH Editions who have believed in me, and then…. I believe that there is always Someone who guides our steps in the life… Someone stronger than us. I am convinced that all this was already written in the book of my life… It was supposed to happen! And I’m very happy for that.

Alok Mishra: It has been a long journey as a poet for you. How do you see it? Please share your experiences as a young poet and as a mature poet now.

Maria Tosti: I started writing poems as a girl when I was still at school. At the beginning, I wrote only for myself, because I needed it. I was looking for another dimension where I could be fully myself and know my limits in the field of writing. Then, growing up, I allowed some friends of mine to read some of my poems but for the rest of the time my poems remained confined to vacant in a drawer. I never thought that one day they could be published in a book! Over the years, I have participated in several national poetry competitions in Italy receiving many appreciations and awards. Then I have been contacted from many Italian publishers but only recently I decided to do a contract. THOTH Editions has published my poems free of charge, as a real and honest publisher has to. The other publishers requested to be paid to publish my book and so I have always refused it.

Alok Mishra: Well, Maria, it is the nature of publishers these days. They seldom trust the poets who are newcomers. What inspired you to write poetry? In the same question, I can also add that which are the poets who have impressed you?

Maria Tosti: My verses are inspired by my emotions and the emotions can come from anything, in any moment and for any motive: a beautiful sunset, an affectionate gesture of a friend, a loving feeling and sometimes also from painful moments, because even pain is part of life.

The Italian poet who in absolute has influenced my passion is Giacomo Leopardi. Among the foreign poets, I prefer John Keats, Emily Dickinson, Pablo Neruda, Jacques Prevert and many others.

Alok Mishra: Majority of your poems are written in Italian. Sometimes you also write in English. Do you find that your language becomes a barrier in reaching out the world audience?

Maria Tosti:  Yes, I think so. The verses should be able to circulate freely to be enjoyed beyond the boundaries of the language and the space. They should be able to flow in the world, and to do this, it requires a universal language: English. I also write in French and Spanish, just to be able to get more in touch with the readers, in this reality of life. Then I think that depending on the subject matter, some languages are more able to externalize emotions and feelings than others, but this is only my opinion. For example, for love poems I prefer French or Spanish, perhaps because they are much closer to Italian language, in fact they were born from the same Latin strain and have many words and nuances like the Italian one.

Alok Mishra: In the beginning of your book, “Voci Ai Confini dell’Anima”, you have mentioned ‘a star’ that always guides you. In the terms of art, I do feel the same. There is something that guides our poetry. What do you think?

Maria Tosti:  I’m sure that there is ‘Something’ or ‘Someone’ that guides my poetry. As a Catholic, I think for me it’s God who put in my heart and in my soul the righteous verses to express what I feel. This is just to give a name to this, but I think everyone should find something in his heart, no matter if he calls it with the name of God or with other name. I think there is an Energy in the world that guides us to do the best, the same Energy that created all of us.

Alok Mishra: I have known many poets, and have read about many. They all have different goals when it comes of poetry. What is your motive behind writing it – entertaining others, self-solace, providing a perspective to others to see the things in a different way or something else?

Maria Tosti:  I write for the pleasure of writing and for the desire to externalize my emotions. I think many people feel my own emotions and rediscover the same in their mind and in their heart, reading my book. This is what happens to me when I read poetry of other poets, even when they lived in different periods.

Alok Mishra: A purely individual question – to you, as a poet, what matters the most? Do you prefer the wilderness, the imagination or like the practical views in your writings?

Maria Tosti:  I am inspired by the life of every day, but sometimes the imagination trumps reality!

Alok Mishra:  How do you take on the criticism from your readers or other poets?

Maria Tosti:  Criticism is always constructive! I still have a lot to learn!

Alok Mishra: Let us get back to the history for a while. Italy had once been the centre of intellect and art. Where do you see it today?

Maria Tosti:  I think Italy is the cradle of Art in all its forms. Today we can find Art all over the world so we can simply say that the Art is a part of everyone who has a sensible soul.

Alok Mishra: At last, I ask the poets and authors to share their message for the emerging wordsmiths. What is your message to the poets who are yet to get their poems published?

Maria Tosti: Please insist! Sooner or later your time will arrive! Everyone has something magical to leave to the world!