TALES of trying times, perseverance and unity are set to be put to paper in an anthology showcasing young writers' talent across the Riverina.
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In a year which won't soon be forgotten, people aged 15-25 have been called upon to share their experiences of bushfires, drought and the pandemic via creative writing.
Ash, Dust, Air will combine a selection of short stories, poems and other creative works into a single anthology which will be published locally in conjunction with Eastern Riverina Arts and Booranga Writer's Centre
Wagga-born author Gabrielle Tozer, known for her young adult fiction titles like Remind Me How This Ends, will be editing the anthology, and said she was excited to watch the work unfold.
"I'm really excited to see a huge range of voices and experiences, and there will be many because it has been a year like no other," she said.
"That's one of the incredible things about an anthology - it taps into the full spectrum of an event and how it was perceived by different people."
Ms Tozer offered some words of advice to aspiring writers.
"Think about a story that only you can tell," she said.
"It has to come from a place of passion, so stay true to yourself, find your own creative writing voice and have fun with it.
"Think outside the box and challenge yourself to a new experience."
In other news:
Eastern Riverina Arts executive director Tim Kurylowicz said entries to the project could be "as polished or raw as you want it to be".
"I suspect 2020 will be a year that defines a generation, so it's especially important that we capture the thoughts and experiences of young people, in their own words," he said.
The anthology, funded through the NSW government, will be showcased at Artstate regional arts conference in November this year, according to Dr Kurylowicz.
"There will be politicians and leaders in the room and we can't think of a better gift for each of them than an opportunity to read the words and thoughts of young people in Regional NSW," he said.
Submissions are being taken from residents across the entire Riverina region, closing on August 14.