2017 was an incredible year which included the launch of the Life Righting Collective. I see you looking about you, puzzled. When was the launch? Why wasn't I invited?
Well, the launch party has not happened yet, and when we have a date, all LRC members will be invited. Depending on how things go, it will probably coincide with the launch of the hard copy anthology. That event will probably only be in April.
Lots of probablies! This first pilot year of the LRC has been a huge learning curve, things have taken longer than we anticipated, and have also cost more than we planned for. Nevertheless we have achieved much more than we had hoped for and we are in a strong position to continue the project into the second year.
I am immensely grateful to the exco: Lucy Alexander, Giles Griffin, Johan Jordaan, Linda Kaoma and Nina Geraghty. The board members have been encouraging support in the background - Philippa Kabali-Kagwa, Zuleiga Adams, and Simon Sephton. Emily Buchanan has done sterling editorial work on the book. Lindsay Wright has come in to assist with registration. Without all these people who have mostly volunteered their time, energy and enthusiasm, the LRC could not have got off the ground.
Every day as a doctor, I see people who are cracking up as a result of deadlines at work, often because of something as ridiculous as a toothpaste ad. We have vowed to make the LRC experience humane and fun as far as possible, which has meant that the deadlines keep being shifted so we retain our sanity and health. So please be patient. Now that the website is up and showcasing the wonderful writing from our authors’ experiences, accessible to anyone with an internet connection, you have a preview of the kind of writing you will find when the book is in your hand.
I have been working with the stories and poems submitted for the anthology for a couple of months now, and I am hugely moved and encouraged that the authors have shared their lives so fully, with such vulnerability, humour and bravery. I anticipate that there will be many people in SA who resonate, and that the anthology will be a torchbearer, revealing how creative acts might help us, and how we might be kinder to ourselves and to others.
All the very writing best for 2018. There is magic in your pencils