Pernille Mo is a writer, poet and translator living in Paris, France. She tells vivid stories through articles about food and wine, travel and creativity. Her first collection of poetry, Meditations on Loneliness, was published by Coyote Blood Press in 2021.
Writer
I started writing articles as soon as I graduated from college, suddenly a fish in water. I was trained by the talented editor of A New Type of Imprint, writing portrait after portrait about Norwegian creative people and their journeys.
After living in Paris for six years, my interest in food and wine naturally grew. The French have a convivial, almost sacred way of eating and drinking, naturally shocking my system after growing up in Norway. Cultural differences thrill me, and I’m continuously hungry to learn more about other ways of living life. Food is such a fundamental part of our lives, why shouldn’t it be worshiped and explored to the end of our abilities?
I love meeting passionate and creative people, take in their stories, taste their creations and understand the fundamentally human parts of them. The pieces I write about them takes on a life of their own, continuing to inspire and motivate others to create something magical out of something potentially mundane.
Translator
My interest in languages started long ago, but peaked specifically during my exchange in Portugal. In Portuguese language class, I was more interested in learning the language of my French classmates. The pull I felt was unquestionable. When I started working as a translator, I learned how our culture is conveyed through the words we speak, but also how we speak them. My life between cultures helps me understand this.
Poet
Sometimes, I wonder if I moved to Paris to write poetry. Only a year after I arrived, I was inspired to write my first poem. It was intoxicating, not only sitting in cafes, drinking wine and writing like so many have before me, but creating something beautiful out of complex and often somber emotions. It created meaning. A few years later, I was lucky enough to stumble upon Ryan online, the angel from Coyote Blood Press, who agreed to publish my poetry. Summer of 2021, Meditations on Loneliness was born, and she has been sold in independent bookshops in Paris as well as online. The writing continues, as Paris (and life) continues to astound and inspire.