Leeton Writers Collective column with Sarah Tiffen

Ever since that day in early February 2020, when I landed in the Hydro as writer-in-residence, something has been building.

Something tangible, organic, heartfelt, and powerful. The need for everyone, regardless of background, colour, creed, age, gender or culture, to have a voice.

The need to tell our stories - diverse, complex, familiar.

The need to realise the historical promise of Leeton as a literary town, a cultural centre for people to write, to make books and to have their voices heard.

The twin pillar to our theatre and performance history. Rich in culture.

Here we are - February 2022. What does that mean? How could two years have flown so quickly and so slowly? How could we have all gone through these transformations, while sometimes languishing in lockdowns, in isolation and in uncertainty?

I think it is something of a miracle, but also in some ways it could never have been any other way. It is the power of faith, of community and sheer tenacity. It is all the ties that hold me here and brought me home - still the little girl who wrote poems looking out at the farm, puzzling to make sense of the world.

IN OTHER NEWS:

One writer - then eight - then 80. One meeting, then 20 then 50.

One small collection of writings by some of Leeton's own - people with secret superpowers to put in words the beauty, complexity, strength and strangeness of our lives - laying a foundation for book making.

Moments of disruption, conflict, doubt, betrayal, loss and, yet, still the overriding conviction that what we are doing matters.

And why? Because the need for everyone to tell their story is a fundamental need, and the stories of our place and our community and our history - are powerful and unique.

So what is Riverina Writing House? Riverina Writing House is a publishing house - Leeton's own. We are making books that matter. Books about the life and times of our community.

We have unique writers with unique talents, capturing in words the intimate moments, the reflections and the observations of Riverina life.

Two collections of group writings, three original, first-time works of poetry, and an international COVID-collaborative work that are soon to be sent on its way to the printer.

In development, a book celebrating our natural wonders here - combining photographs with poetry - to tell the tale of our place in visual and poetic form, two autobiographical works, two works honouring and celebrating Wiradjuri story, a reprint of seminal Leeton publications - Under Wide Skies, by Jim Grahame, and Letona - the Whole Story, by Robin Tiffen.

Lots more projects in the pipeline. Together making a canon of work that represents us to the rest of the country and the world.

Riverina Writing House is also a centre for writers and writing - a place to meet, to discuss projects and ideas, to explore literature, to collaborate, to rest and write in peace.

We have a Leeton Young Writers Collective flowering - a critical piece of the puzzle, to allow our young people a place and an avenue to express their ideas and their experiences and to be heard.

It is an absolute honour to give our young people a place to speak and write - their voices will guide us into the future.

We have relationships with other community and cultural groups - Leeton Eisteddfod, Leeton Art Society, Leeton Multicultural Support, Leeton Local and Family History Society, Rainbow Pride Network.

We have relationships with business and we are in close discussion with a range of others. We are building relationships with other important cultural institutions - Booranga Writers Centre, The Curious Rabbit, Rotary, Frankfurt Bookfair, Hay-on-Wye literary festival, Western Riverina Arts, Roxy Institute for Dramatic Arts.

We are hosting a range of workshops and events in coming months that would not be out of place in the most esteemed venues across Australia - Les Wicks, veteran of Australian poetry will grace us on March 2 and 3.

Jake Speer will return after the triumph of Henry V in 2021 to run an exclusive day-long workshop on film, script writing, place and the Riverina aesthetic. John Lombard, Canberra theatre critic, playwright and performer will be here to run workshops on microfiction and radio plays in April. The list goes on.

It's happening because the stars have aligned and because the circumstances have allowed it.

The best thing is my presence in my hometown and the impact of creating Leeton Writers Collective, is nurturing many green shoots besides Riverina Writing House.

Mona Magazine, with its growing success as a vehicle for women's stories, was started by members of Leeton Writers Collective, because they felt empowered and inspired by belonging to and being supported by our creative community.

Narrandera Writers Group has been resurrected off the back of the LWC model, with the two groups sharing some members. Books on East, the beautiful new bookshop in Narrandera, is a product of this renaissance and a great supporter of local authors.

LWC helped drive Henry V, helped drive Bloodshed at the Banquet - the amateur local production destined for Art Deco Festival release, among other things. We have started helping capture the incredible stories of our elders - an important undertaking led by our mayor Tony Reneker through the history society. There is just so much going on.

When we take it back to first principles - it is a simple equation. Writing is important, our stories tell us who we are, and everyone has a right to have their story told and heard.

We have given secret writers the power to reveal a lifetime of writing.

We have given those who long to write something down the courage to take the first step. We are making books. Our books. In a changing world, books are fundamental tools and artefacts - they connect us to the past, they allow us to know another person, even when they may have been gone for centuries, they are real and tangible and full of truth and grace. We need that right now.

This is the reason why Riverina Writing House exists and why it is attracting attention and advancing Leeton - because we need it. Its magic. It's changing the town. People are sitting up and noticing.

For more information contact at sarah@riverinawritinghouse.com.au, 0404 348 277, or drop into 10 Kurrajong Avenue.

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