34-37 Degrees South - 2023

Foreword
Based at Coledale, near Wollongong, the South Coast Writers Centre
serves writers and the public between Helensburg and Eden and west
into the Southern Highlands (approximately 34 to 37 degrees South
latitude).
This is the second anthology from poets in the SCWC membership,
focused this year on the theme of Country with poems ranging from
haiku and tanka, through sonnets and free verse to prose poetry.
In this lively collection, I’m pleased to see some of our well-published
poets such as Tim Heffernan, Dr Elanna Herbert and Erin Shiel. Joining
them are newer writers to give the reader a sense of the variety and
diversity of writers working today. The anthology also features a piece
from Ms Fatima Sayed, a Syrian-Australian who we invited to write
about her refugee experience.
Sadly, 2023 saw the passing of Ron Pretty AM, after a long illness.
Ron was instrumental in establishing the SCWC along with Five
Islands Press. He was a remarkable poet and teacher, known to many
in the Illawarra and Australia-wide. The collection closes with a poem
in tribute to Ron’s work from local poet Moira Kirkwood.
I congratulate and thank every poet who submitted to this second
anthology. It is available in both hard-copy and in digital form. In
addition, this year we are bringing you the voices of the poets reading
their work on the website.
I am delighted to present 34 to 37 Degrees South for 2023.
Dr Sarah Nicholson
Director, South Coast Writers Centre
November 2023
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