Overcast skies gave way to luminous beams of early evening
light, as close to 100 people gathered at the St Heliers Bay Community Centre
to celebrate the launch of Deborah Shepard’s poignant journal-memoir, Giving Yourself to Life: A journal of Pain,
Hope and Renewal.
As guests mingled, enjoying conversation, canapés and wine,
softly segueing to publisher Cathie Dunsford’s conch shell powhiri, which officially
welcomed everyone and marked the formal part of the evening. As everyone took
their seats in the chapel, Deborah’s book was officially blessed and the
speeches commenced.
Photo left - Deborah Shepard & Linda Cassells - photo Leigh Burrell
Linda
spoke fondly about that moment when she first received Deborah’s completed
manuscript, saying, “I’m not sure if publishers
can talk about ‘love at first read’, but that encapsulates my response when I
first read Deborah’s manuscript. A Journal of Pain, Hope and Renewal, a year of
constant pain – it is not easy material. And yet, as the Australian writer and
poet Kate Llewellyn has commented on this book, Deborah makes ‘a beautiful chart
of a horrid thing’. It is ‘full of grit and stoicism’. She calls it ‘slow,
elegant and brave’.”
Elizabeth Smither travelled up
from New Plymouth especially, to be part of Deborah’s book launch, and was the
first speaker. Delivering what can only be described as a “poet’s speech,”
Elizabeth gave an insightful account of the challenge and discipline of journal
writing; Deborah later remarked on how interesting this exposition was to her
as a journal writer. Later, in her speech, Deborah thanked Elizabeth warmly for
her endorsement of her book, saying that it was “an absolute high point in my life as a writer.”
Then, Dr Bob
Large spoke with great warmth and whimsy, describing Deborah’s book as “a beautifully-written, authentic, first
person journal (that) is certain to be helpful to pain sufferers.” In officially launching her book, he went on to say how
invaluable Deborah’s book was to him personally and that reading the account of
her process in individual therapy sessions with him had been a gift.
Linda then introduced Flavio Villani, who had composed an
achingly beautiful score; a musical response to Deborah’s literary endeavour,
and one which perfectly complemented Mairi Gunn’s short
film about Giving Yourself to Life,
which was shown after Flavio’s performance. You could have heard a pin drop!
Mairi’s film captures the beauty of nature, the serenity
and hope that imbues Giving Yourself to
Life. Deborah’s intent in writing her journal-memoir, to reach out to
people everywhere and write 'about living fully in the midst of all the
sufferings we, as human beings, encounter on a life path.' To see Mairi’s film, please click on this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rkaDRWemb4.
Then, a clearly emotional Deborah spoke
about how, at the instigation of her friend Fiona Graham, who had gifted her
with a journal and then encouraged her “to write, Deborah, write your way
through.” Deborah also acknowledged the five strong women to whom she had
dedicated her book and who remain her dearest mentors: Jacqueline Fahey, the
late Margaret Mahy, the late Merimeri Penfold, Gaylene Preston and Anne
Salmond.
Deborah paid tribute to the “huge amount of unseen effort, from an army of people, that simply
pours into the production of a work such as this,” and in particular, the
support she had received from publisher Linda Cassells; the life writers who
had attended her courses; the Michael King Writers’ Centre Trust, including
Chair Catrina Ferguson for supporting the final stage of the writing of this
journal with the gift of an autumn residency in 2013, Director Karren Beanland
for her warm support; and husband Julian.
As the speeches melted into a book signing and more
clinking of glasses, Deborah was heard to say that the event “had exceeded expectations.” I can see
why.
Extract from Giving
Yourself to Life:
4 November
I must
be improving. This morning when I awoke and lifted the blinds in my bedroom to
say hello to the garden I felt happy to be starting another day. Flowers are
bursting out everywhere. Beside the gravel path beyond the kitchen window, the
little stars of porcelain-blue symphytum are winking from a border of
old-fashioned Johnson’s Blue geraniums and the occasional wand of white
aquilegia.
I love this moment before the day
begins, the pause before the action starts. It seems in this space there is
brimming potential. We can begin again, try to do better, be more loving and
gracious, listen more.
As I turned to leave the room I
spotted the flicker of a little fantail in flight – the piwakawaka – like a
shuttlecock tossed lightly into the air.
For more about Giving Yourself to Life please visit: http://www.thejournal.co.nz/.
L to R Elizabeth Smither, Dr Bob Large, Cathie Dunsford, Deborah Shepard, Linda Cassells, Flavio Villani - Leigh Burrell
Launch report by Sarah
Thornton
Thornton
Communications Ltd
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