COMING SOON

Iona Winter has created ‘a liminal gathering’ which is to be launched later this year. The almanac includes writing from New Zealanders sharing their experiences with grief, myself included.

Here is what Iona has to say about the publication:

Kia ora koutou, kō Iona Winter (Waitaha) tohuku ikoa. I’m here to ask for your support with a liminal gathering, an inaugural New Zealand based multidisciplinary grief almanac, under the imprint Elixir & Star Press (ESP*).

In 2022 I received the CLNZ / NZSA Writers’ Award to write a non-fiction book on being suicide bereaved. While researching grief in all its complexities, it became apparent that New Zealand lacks non-academic and personalised resources for grief; unlike most other countries.

ESP* was created as a side project and as a dedicated space for the expression of grief, in memory of my tama Reuben Winter who took his life in 2020 during the pandemic. 

ESP* opened for multidisciplinary submissions from New Zealand based creatives, earlier this year, and I received well over 200. All expressions were welcomed, since grief by its very essence is a universal experience. 103 artists: poets, photographers, musicians, storytellers, and visual artists, have accepted mahi in a liminal gathering, and they come from diverse backgrounds, ages, creative ability and expression.

a liminal gathering celebrates the destigmatisation of grief, by making it relatable through multiple creative lenses, and to normalise the various ways grief can be expressed. The almanac seeks to provide comfort, and act as a taonga to be shared between loving hands, during difficult times.

This Boosted campaign is to raise funds for: the printing of a liminal gathering (approximately $6,900), to provide a small koha (of $50 to 103 contributing artists - including making their copies available at cost); because a reality of being a creative in NZ is that most of us are unpaid, and finally to hold two book launches in Dunedin and Auckland during November. 

I am donating my time/energy/aroha to all the behind-the-scenes mahi - shout outs to the generous wahine who gave koha to support me with this. While Boosted is a reward-free platform, there is a platform fee, and the cost for this has been included in our fundraising goal of $14,000. 

Thank you in advance, for your support of this important body of work.

Mauri ora, Iona

 You can donate and share here - thanks in advance for your support :)