I was born on the tropical Island of Ceylon, later moving briefly to East Africa and finally England. I was raised on tea plantations, there was no pressure for me to attend school, no radio, TV or interference. I played away my days, swimming and creating a rich, fertile imagination. Poetry, fables and the classics were read to me each night, it was a perfect barefoot Indian Ocean existence. I had a wild and idyllic early childhood . I continue to weave these memory- loops into my work . The exotic smells, colours and rich flavours pull at my seams.
England, by contrast was a cold grey land where TV and traffic trudged on relentlessly. On the surface everything appeared bland and tasteless by comparison. I could not read and was clearly way behind, British life was competitive and dull. In order to survive, I lost myself in music and art, the moment I could decipher words , poetry and books. I constantly stoked my imagination, feeding my voracious appetite for knowledge. I wanted to experience every emotion, every taste and every smell . I have always felt shipwrecked in this life and find my salvation, my voice through writing. Words are a compulsion, a necessity . Each day is like the first, there is much to say, much to share.
My work is deeply sensuous and strongly flavoured, drawn from my experiences of the world. I am currently collaborating on a screenplay, writing a collection of erotic short stories, and compiling a manuscript of poems. I am the editor of an on line arts magazine, Ravenous Butterflies. I am married and live in London with my husband and three children.
Lisa Azarmi
Ravenous Butterflies 
