In this episode of Book Craft, I’m joined by Canadian poet Kim Germsheid, author of A Collection of Ashes, for a heartfelt conversation about poetry, loss, and finding the courage to finally share your work.

Kim has been writing poetry since childhood but always kept it private. Everything changed after a devastating house fire in 2022 destroyed her home—and all of her writing. That loss became the catalyst for publishing her first collection, transforming grief into something deeply resonant and powerful.

We talk about the surprising ways poetry connects with readers, Kim’s unique approach to sharing her work at markets, the realities of self-publishing, and her upcoming second poetry collection.

This episode is a beautiful reminder that writing the book is only a small part of the journey—and that sometimes, the work finds its readers exactly when it’s meant to.

Find Kim on these platforms:

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mrs.eddie.vedder/

Indigo Books https://tinyurl.com/vr524fd5

Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BYRGZY8W

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Kim Germsheid

01:00 The Journey to Writing Poetry

03:10 Connecting with Readers Through Poetry

07:51 The Role of Libraries in Accessibility

11:51 Navigating Author Events

16:27 The Challenges of Self-Publishing

21:55 Upcoming Projects and Future Collections

27:37 Book Trends and Personal Preferences