When Robert Sidler joined the Clunes Writers Group, it was with some concern. He is now a published author whose works appear in an anthology of Australia’s famous book city.
Every fall, the small town, 36 miles north of Ballarat, is the destination for writers and readers to share their stories during the annual Clunes Booktown Festival.
It seems appropriate then to have a book that shares the stories of Clunes’ own group of writers.
The Clunes writers group officially released Unmasked: An Anthology at the Clunes neighborhood home in May.
This is a collection of stories, poetry, prose and haiku from the group of the last two years.
The group helps build trust
Sidler reads his poem, Once Again, at the Clunes House. (Provided by: Judi Palmer)
For many of the 18 contributors, including Sidler, it was his first time as a published writer.
Clunes Writers Group Coordinator Patsy Skinner said people who joined the group were often surprised, not only because they had a story to tell, but also because of the interest others had in those groups. stories.
“Often the first comment is, ‘I can’t really write. I’m not a writer. The wonderful thing is to see them gain confidence, “Skinner said.
When Robert [Sidler] first we came from Ballarat, I didn’t know anyone here.
“In the early days when he came, there weren’t many men either.”
Rhonda Christian’s works had appeared in a previous book by the Clunes group of writers entitled Write Along. However, he said, seeing his words appear in a professionally bound book that had the potential to appear in a bookstore or library gave him a real sense of satisfaction.
“It gives you a sense of validation,” Christian said.
“I think [seeing your work in a published form] validates these thoughts and ideas because they are able to be appreciated by others.
“As a writer, you want people to know who you are, and that’s what you do.”
Rhonda Christian and Judi Palmer are among the Unmasked writers. (ABC News: Gavin McGrath)
Unmasking the writing talent
Unmasked, as an idea, was born two and a half years ago.
The members of the group were closed like almost everyone else in Victoria, with little or no opportunity for face-to-face contact.
Over the next two years, Unmasked became a collection of 150 individual pieces. Some are stories of 1,000 words or more. Others are poems with less than 20.
“It simply came to our notice then [during that time] it should be shared, “Ms Skinner said.
“We wanted to have the opportunity to put it in black and white, so we felt like we were really authors of our own work.
“It simply came to our notice then [during that time] Their stories are interesting to other people “.
Unmasked is an anthology of 150 short stories, poems and haiku from the last two years. (ABC News: Gavin McGrath)
Clunes Writers’ Group includes well-known Melbourne poet Ken Smeaton and Castlemaine Poetry Readings Award winner Gail Oliver.
Others hadn’t even tried creative writing before joining the group.
“This group comes from so many different backgrounds and so many different places,” Ms. Skinner said.
“We have people who have moved [to] Clunes in the last years of the big cities, of other states, but we also have people who have lived in Clunes all their lives and like to write about the great environment in which we live.
“There are writers like Ken Smeaton who have been in the Melbourne poetry scene for many years, but there are also writers who have come to the group with no experience and are very confident.”
Sidler read his article Once Again at the launch of the book Unmasked:
For a moment I thought I couldn’t write any more
It was
I didn’t want any more
Either way,
The words were too hard to find
Or put in pictures
Then I looked it up in a dictionary
I stuck my head in a thesaurus
Listen to some songs
I found something to write about
A touch of motivation
A taste for creation
And again the joy,
The pleasure and pain of writing
It was about me
“He is a writer who can leave his words and thoughts very quickly. Very often, he will compose a poem in a matter of minutes,” Ms Skinner said.
“His ideas and thoughts just seem to resonate with other people.”
Want more local news? Subscribe to ABC Ballarat’s weekly email newsletter.
Judi Palmer moved to Clunes in 1998 and joined the Writers Group in 2018.
He said joining a group helped make things happen, but it wasn’t the only way to start writing.
“You have to sit and write,” Palmer said.
“A lot of people [in the group] write because they had a traumatic experience. Others write anecdotes from their day to day lives.
“Get an idea from anywhere and start writing. For starters, you don’t have to be good.”