By Jed Lanyon
A Healesville U3A group is celebrating the achievement of publishing their own book, As We See It.
U3A member Anne Hosking told the Mail, “It’s a quirky book. It’s full of little fun things that we did during our course. Our aim for it is to put it out in the community to inspire other people to take part in things like U3A or the living and learning centre.”
The book can be found in community places such as doctor surgeries and hospitals where Ms Hosking said she hopes it can help someone in need.
“If they pick it up, they don’t have to concentrate too hard. They just have to open the pages and can pick it up from anywhere,” she said.
The ‘creative writing for the slightly silly’ U3A group hosted all other Healesville U3A members at the Healesville Courthouse on 18 November to celebrate the book launch.
Nine writers contributed to the book and some took the opportunity to read their favourite writings, jokes and poems for those in attendance.
Throughout the year, Book convenor and class tutor Di Anderson created a range of activities and surprises for those in the writing group, which then inspired their contributions to As We See It.
“It’s a pretty wonderful thing to do. Not everybody gets published,” Ms Hosking said.
The group was aided by funding from U3A, Bendigo Community Bank and the Foundation for Regional and Rural Renewal.
Ms Hosking said that the writing group had helped members cope and overcome trauma.
“A couple of people in the group were really seriously traumatised by the (Black Saturday) bushfires.
“Another lady had lost her husband and she’s still grieving. It hasn’t been the aim of the book but we have made really good bonds with each other… It’s been quite therapeutic.
“It’s been a long journey but a really happy one and we’ve all learned a lot. Everyone has had their own sort of contribution.”
Copies of As We See It are limited, to register your interest in receiving the book, contact healesville.u3a@bigpond.com.
