Writing Your Way to Freedom
Just imagine . . . .
Dear fellow writer,
Imagine fleeing your homeland in fear of your life at age 16, leaving behind your family and everything you know.
Imagine living for nine and a half years behind the barbed wire of a refugee detention centre, banned from accessing formal education or paid employment, cut off from your hopes and dreams for your future.
Imagine teaching yourself English, psychology, and creative writing via free online courses that you access on your phone screen, studying for up to twelve hours per day as the years slowly tick by.
Imagine forming friendships with other writers from around the world by reaching out to them through the international WriteSPACE community. Imagine developing your craft, finding your voice, and becoming a published author.
Imagine being invited to make a fresh start as a permanent resident of a country you’ve never seen.
Imagine arriving in your new homeland at age 25 with no money, no family, no formal education, and no employment history.
And now imagine — just imagine! — that you’re not alone after all.
Imagine that readers and writers from around the world have subscribed to your new Substack newsletter, Walk With Me.
Imagine weaving the barbed wire of your past into beautifully crafted poetry, fiction, and essays.
Imagine walking into the future with thousands of readers at your side.
On November 29, 2023, Afghan writer Hussain Shah Rezaie will arrive in Aotearoa New Zealand after nearly a decade in limbo as a refugee in Indonesia. You can read his remarkable story here; sign up for his free Substack newsletter here; and make a donation here.
Please show your support for this brave young man by subscribing to Walk With Me. It costs nothing and takes less than a minute!
Thank you for walking with Hussain.
Coming soon
Writers and their Notebooks - November 15/16, 2023
Don’t miss this week’s WriteSPACE Special Event on Writers and their Notebooks with Jillian Hess, professor of English at the City University of New York and author of the wildly popular Substack newsletter Noted. Join us for a lively conversation on the creative note-taking habits of authors, artists, musicians, politicians, scientists, and other writers from 3-5 pm EST (Eastern Standard Time) on Wednesday November 15 (which translates to the morning of November 16 for those of us on the other side of the dateline).
The first hour is FREE for all who register. In the second hour, Jillian and I will conduct a playful note-taking workshop exclusively for WriteSPACE members.
If you can’t attend the live event, you’ll get sent a video link afterwards. We’d love to see you there!
On the website
Island Time Writing Retreat, February 2024
Just off the coast of Auckland in Aotearoa New Zealand lies an island paradise called Waiheke. Its beautiful vineyards, sandy bays, and striking sunsets are among the most celebrated in the world. Now picture yourself on one of Waiheke Island’s palm-lined beaches for a summertime writing retreat. I’ll work with you one-on-one to help you make progress with a current writing project, hone your wordcraft, replenish your creative energies, and find fresh inspiration. Sound ideal? There’s still time for you to join my Island Time Writing Retreat, running February 11-17, 2024. That’s just three months away, so why wait? Submit your Expression of Interest now.
In the WriteSPACE
Weekly Wayfinder for November 13 - 19
WriteSPACE and WS Studio members: Every week in the WriteSPACE Maproom, you’ll find a featured writing resource to expand your horizons, a playful pomodoro timer to help you keep your writing on track, and a writing-related challenge to sharpen your skills.
This week’s resource: Writers and their Notebooks
This week’s timer: Silver Apple
This week’s challenge: Create your own notebook
Not a member? Sign up for a free 30-day trial and check out all our great writing resources for yourself.
Other writing news
Do you have writing-related news, events, or resources to share? Contact me with a brief description (50 words max), a hyperlink, and a high-quality image.
Spread the joy! Please encourage your friends, colleagues, and students to join me in the WriteSPACE, a vibrant, low-cost writing community with members in 30+ countries. As a WriteSPACE member, you’ll get premium access to resources, workshops, and tools designed to help you hone your wordcraft, sharpen your style, and coax your writing gently out the door.
Kia pai tō koutou rā (have a great day) – and keep on writing!
Helen