Home is launched!

12 Sep 2014

What a wonderful night!
Last Wednesday evening, September 10 2014, our year-long community writing project came to a spectacular conclusion as we launched our latest book, Home: Mapping the Stories of Redfern.

Home is a collection of stories, memories, poems and anecdotes about living in the Redfern area now and in the past. There are contributions from local young people, and adults including Dame Professor Marie Bashir, Nathan Merritt, Sol Bellear and Clover Moore.

The launch was attended by 200 people, including our very special guests, the students in Year 5 at Our Lady of Mt Carmel in Waterloo, who performed two of the poems they contributed to the book. Thank you also to the students at Yurungai after-school care, run by Barnados, for their terrific chalk drawings decorating the footpath outside; and their gentle chaperone Bruce Shillingsworth for his acknowledgement of country and awesome didgeridoo playing. Thanks also to Councillor John Mant for his kind words.

It was a privilege to have such a cross-section of the vibrant Redfern community in attendance. Huge thanks to Cathy Craigie for leading the Home project and to Helen Coolican and Garigarra Mundine for working on it in such a dedicated and generous way.

The Home project was generously supported by the City of Sydney. You can purchase copies of the book for only $20 at our shop, The Martian Embassy and Gift Shop, 176 Redfern Street, Redfern, or online from right here: http://martianembassy.com.au/products/home