This anthology, a way of happening, follows on from two previous anthologies Wording the World (2010) and Here Not There (2012) which published student work from Avondale College alongside established poets. Writing is most often done in isolation, so it is important to have a sense that one is not working alone, but that one's writing forms part of a larger interaction and conversation among like-minded people. These anthologies establish a feeling of community for the students, a sense that what they are doing has significance. From the examples of work by more experienced poets, novice poets can see what is achievable through commitment and effort to the art of poetry writing. This anthology gives the new poets diverse and prestigious voices against which to test their own poems and to recognise the value of beautiful and finely articulated speech. It also enables the students to see that there are people, despite the apparent invisibility of poetry in our society, who readily dedicate their time and efforts to this art form and for whom poetry has a major place in their lives. Any reader coming to this volume will be struck by its cohesion and diversity and by the fresh and innovative voices all talking with depth and clarity.
