Two local authors will share their lived experience, transforming their wounds into wisdom, at a special book launch at Umina Beach on June 5 as part of the Words on the Waves Writers Festival.
Renee Marie Simpson’s I Want to Go Home aims to help readers find empowerment and reclaim their voice after sexual assault.
As she embarks on a sailing adventure with no experience, everything goes terrifyingly wrong.
This is a must-read for survivors and allies alike.
A NSW Health psychiatrist said the book had an important message about healing, self-love and resilience.
“(This is) an essential read for everyone struggling with a traumatic experience that causes you to feel powerless and small,” she said.
“I think it is very clever how it focuses on the healing journey rather than the traumatic experience.
“This not only makes it more relatable for everyone but also sends a powerful, hopeful and inspiring message.
“You can’t always control what happened to you, but you can control how you face your demons.
“And to top it all off; it is creatively written and describes an epic adventure around the world.”
Robyn Collins never expected to experience the sudden death of her newborn baby and the depth of grief and depression that followed.
In Return to Soul, she shares her personal story, the journey of communication and guidance from the spirit of her daughter and the insights from this essential discovery.
“Stories are often about people, and a good story is about something we can relate to or identify with,” Simpson said.
“Identifying with a story is important because it can help shape the outcome of any personal struggles we may be dealing with.
“Sharing or listening to someone talk about a lived experience you can relate to has a number of advantages.
“It can help show you’re not alone, help others make sense of the senseless, help normalise mental health conditions and disorders, reconnect the fragmented pieces of suffering and lead to hope.”
The Self Care Book Launch will take place from 5.30pm to 6.30pm on Monday, June 5, at Centered Ceramics, 246 West St, Umina Beach.
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Renee Simpson