With a maturity that belies her 14-years, Jess Robus is already a singer, songwriter, debater and musical theatre aficionado.
On 3 June 2021, she added ‘published author’ and ‘published poet’ to those accolades, with the release of her debut book A Few Slivers of Light, now available for purchase online.
A Few Slivers of Light is a vulnerable and emotive collection of poems of a teenager’s journey with anxiety and depression. Robus hopes she will inspire other teens and young adults to speak up about their struggles and to reach parents who might have children experiencing these challenges.
She began writing poetry at the tender of age eight and chose this medium as a means for her to process the world around her.
Robus has always loved writing and poetry.
“I’ve found to be a very engaging medium both from the perspective of the reader and the writer. It’s an art form that can so eloquently capture emotions and thoughts and enables me to deal with them and process them constructively. Publishing this book is a way for me to share my struggles and recovery and hopefully show others that they are not alone,” she said.
Award-winning author and poet, Raashida Khan’s Foreward reads:
“A few Slivers of Light is more than a collection of beautiful and evocative poetry. It is a revelation. An insight into the psyche of a young woman walking her journey of life while dealing with challenges, both internal and external.
“Jess Robus displays insight and talent that belie her young age. Her writing journey mirrors her personal journey so that as readers, we are drawn in and are captured by the turn of phrase, use of words, and interesting take on writing style.”
Mental health and awareness around it is very important to Robus who struggled through a two-year depressed anxiety spiral and witnessed her fellow teenage friends deal with their own mental health issues.
Her poetry book as well as some of her music, chronicles her own journey of accepting and constructively dealing with the challenges she has faced. She gets to share her story and reassure others that whatever they may be going through, they are not alone.
A Few Slivers of Light is self-published, and now available for purchase online on Amazon, via Jess Robus’s website or via PayStack
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