When I moved to Sydney in 2008, I was struck by the beauty of the coastline. It was wild yet accessible, a completely different landscape to the northern hemisphere coastlines of my youth. It became my companion in the early days as a new migrant; a place of solace during times of grief and loss; and it continues to be the place where I run, swim and breathe in the beauty of this natural coastline.
Wanting to share this precious part of my life through poetry, I reached out to my dear friend and mentor, writer and poet, Libby Hathorn. Libby’s genuine passion for the written word, especially poetry, and her childhood coastline experiences made her the best woman to help guide this collection to its successful completion.
Over several months, we met and walked and talked and laughed and listened to each other, to the natural world around us, and to that call deep inside us that demanded we sing out with grateful hearts and minds.
As a migrant, I wish to celebrate a passion for nature and a special love for my adopted country.
What has been accomplished is a shared collection of poetry unique to a part of the magnificent Australian coastline.
It is with pride and joy that I share this journey and my heartfelt gratitude to all who supported and joined me along the way in my quest to connect people and landscape, especially, of course, my dear friend and poetry mentor, Libby Hathorn.
