It’s 8.45 on a Monday morning, and I’m in the car stopped at traffic lights. All around me people are on their way to work – walking, riding, driving. I notice a feeling creeping up on me, a sadness, like I’m missing something. The light turns green and I turn right, pulling into the carpark […]
Writers Victoria recently surveyed everyone who registered for Writeability events since the program began in 2012, along with WV members who identified as people with disability (PWD). While the statistics collected are invaluable, it’s the experience of participants that matter most. We’ve learned much from participants’ comments and stories and have already implemented changes to
Awareness of disabled and marginalised writers in the publishing industry is increasing, but there’s still a long way to go, says Jessica Walton. Ahead of her Writeability – Opportunities for Writers webinar, Jess talked to Writers Victoria about seeking out opportunities and the impact they can have on writing. Writers with disability are hugely underrepresented
Change needed at all levels Read More »
I nod hello to the barista and settle into my usual seat. I’m about to pull out my book when I see two people signing. They are sitting two tables over. I can’t help but really look at them. Their hands are flying up and down, touching cheeks, chins, ears, elbows. They are conversing rapidly;
The Shape of Sound Read More »
The Oxford definition of ‘access’ is ‘the means or opportunity to approach or enter a place’. A definition that breeds triviality. A meaning that surpasses physicality. It is more than sizing up a space. A restricted movement from place to place. It is a negotiation. A validation of a way through. Ears that can hear
Dreams of Weightlessness Read More »
Ally means partner, or so I’ve heard. Someone who cares, who’ll be there when the walls fall down. Ally is an action, an alliance you build, not something you identify as. Ally is meant to mean something, like a marriage, because that’s how marriage started too. But I have been rereading our ketubah and you have
An Open Letter to Allies Read More »
Prologue: One Year Ago “There are too many ghouls in the forest. We need you,” said Kolya. The poor kid was exhausted and pale. Silvie gave him a second fruit bun, figuring there was no harm in a little petty crime. The buns weren’t selling; besides, it was depressingly likely that she’d have to
The Heir and a Spare Read More »
A seed, lovingly pressed into the earth. A child’s first experience with a deep and unconditional love. My most treasured possession. Fur fabric worn smooth over years of clutching. Dull black glass eyes and a crooked frown. Endless needlepoint scars from patchwork, healing rips and tears from being loved so hard. Neither children nor new parents are original
Earlier this year, Tania Cañas, Arts Director at RISE Refugee in Melbourne, wrote an article ‘Diversity is a White Word’ that subsequently exploded on social media, igniting discussion across the arts and in literary journals (Koubaroulis, 2017; Aranjuez, 2017; Iyer, 2017). —– It was spring of 2016 and on the promise of safe spaces, diverse women
Each person has a particular insight and way of seeing the world, says Writeability tutor Andy Jackson, and all people – particularly non-disabled – need to listen carefully. Andy presented ‘Myths, Realities and Elephants’ to the Writeability Writers Group in Ballarat, Andy will visit the Bendigo group and spoke to us about some of the
There’s strength in numbers Read More »
