Working Draft of 'Mana Mangere Writers' Collective'...

 Today was the first day that our Writers' group officially came together to begin viewing the working draft of our first collection to be printed in a couple of months time. Our group was first established last year after I spoke with a few people and talked about getting a collection together and Indie publishing it.

It's quite exciting to be working with a group of writers with diverse backgrounds and experiences, viewpoints and a real privilege to be editing this collection. We have short story writers, poets, academic writers (like myself) with a range of topics, perspectives and all very talented. The previso being that participants must either work, study or live in Mangere.

What I find interesting also are the experiences within each story and poem that is being told and with a brief of written pieces being either to: encourage, inspire or educate the readers or audience and for future generations, I think each story carries its own weight.

The funny thing is that I haven't gone out to look for people except to advertise in various local digital media, my own networks and through word of mouth as I believe that the people who come forward are those who are meant to be in this group.

I also have to thank our communities' Mangere Otahuhu local board who have generously funded and are in support of this adventure and I hope that it will become one that will continue in time to come for a diverse community such as this.

I also would like to acknowledge the support of Sally, our local arts broker, who made the funding known to me in being able to access it for this neat project and all the various writers who are making their own dreams come true by sharing in this collection.

And it's only been two and a half years since I first self-pubished my first book so it's really neat to see the development in my own writing in now being in a position to be able to support other local writers' dreams to come true.

Camera, lights, action!...