Hunter Writers’ Centre has enjoyed a long-term relationship with National Association for Loss and Grief NSW (NALAG NSW), and we would like to introduce you to their work. 

Interview by Jessamine Lobb.

Wattle is the symbol of grief, according to NALAG NSW. There’s over one thousand types of wattle, and at least one is always flowering, just as there’s many ways to grieve, and there’s always a handful of us in the thick of it.

When Hunter Writers’ Centre began Grieve as a local writing competition in 2013, it offered people catharsis and connection. Entrants wrote of the loss of loved ones; unborn babies; relationships, careers, homes, pets; their child selves, the climate. 

Today, with the long-term support of NALAG NSW, Grieve is a nationwide competition, now in its 11th year. Acknowledging the myriad ways to explore grief through storytelling, Hunter Writers’ Centre now accepts submissions in the form of photography, visual art and music.

NALAG NSW has been a longtime pioneer of Grieve. The not-for-profit formed after the Granville Train Disaster in 1977, and provides free, confidential support to people coping with loss across NSW. 

Former volunteer and CEO Trudy Hanson has devoted more than three decades of her life to NALAG. Over time, she has watched people become kinder to themselves the more they understood grief. 

‘People are more accepting of reaching out, and open to expressing their grief in ways that feel comfortable to them,’ she said. In the last two years alone, NALAG delivered over 6000 face-to-face, online, and over-the-phone counselling sessions. Through art therapy, support groups, and fundraising events like the Walk Towards Hope for suicide awareness, NALAG NSW reminds people that they don’t have to grieve alone.

Trudy notes that NALAG staff and volunteers are often “wounded healers” who’ve walked in their clients’ shoes. 

If people are wanting to make a difference in people lives, NALAG NSW is always ready to welcomes new volunteers. A Grief Support Volunteer provides a listening ear, while a Friend of NALAG offers general event and office assistance. People can join as a NALAG member, which includes discounted workshops and seminars on grief and mental health. 

NALAG endorses Grieve because storytelling can help people make sense of their emotions and find meaning in a turbulent period of their lives. 

Reading Grieve is a life-affirming experience. Alongside sadness and anger, there’s beauty, humour and strength. Grief might never ‘end’, but we can still live full, meaningful lives in honour of the people and things we miss. 

You can find more information about NALAG on their website: https://nalag.org.au/