Photo has been used for illustrative purposes.

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

An “accidental writer” believes the love for reading would make one treasure the craft of writing. She also believes that the love for writing entails a huge responsibility. That “accidental writer” is Dubai resident Danabelle Gutierrez who prefers to be called a writer more than a poet. “When you say poet, somebody has to call you that because I believe that is earned. I believe I am a writer.”

The 35-year-old who grew up in Egypt, Oman and Austria with her career-oriented mum, was interviewed before the Feb. 6 (Thursday) “Litfest Poetry Night” of the just-concluded “Emirates Airlines Festival of Literature” at the Dubai Festival City.

That night, Gutierrez who has so far penned and published via Amazon two poetry books—“I Long to be the River” (2014, a collection of poems and her own abstract photographs) and “Until the Dream Comes” (2015, a narrative love poem)—participated alongside established poets from her adopted city of 15 years and from other parts of the world.

The poets were Zeina Hashem Beck, Rui Coias, Carlos Andres Gomez, Hind Shoufani, Arundathi Subramaniam, Shamma Al Bastaki, Rasha Al Duwaisan, Frank Dullaghan, Mark Fides, Omar Khalifa, Farah Ali, and Marie Dullaghan. The Metro Manila-born was immensely grateful that the organizers had invited her again.

Gutierrez claimed it is her English Major mum who is the writer and that her real love is photography.

The writing muses began bugging her at age 11. Since, then, even in the middle of the night, she would get up and write down her thoughts—which could ooze from her dream or even any word.

“Not all (bookworms) are going to be writers. I got interested because the more I read, the more I wanted to write. I do believe all writers must read because reading would help them (in their craft and profession). Writing has become self-taught  (with the help of the online master-classes). Writing is a big responsibility because (of the influence we impart).”

The “accidental (award-winning) actress, by her performance in the Filipino-produced “Aurora,” submitted at the 2016 “48 Hour Film Festival” and “Girl-Next-Door” at the 2018 “Emirates Short Film Festival” as she was also among the 86 honorees at the 2019 “3rd Film Ambassadors’s Night” of the Film Development Council of the Philippines, classified all as “luck.”