Confidence 2 Book Launch Celebrates Creative Voices

On Saturday, September 21, writers, actors and special guests gathered in Geelong to celebrate the launch of Confidence 2, Minds Shine Bright’s latest anthology. Confidence 2 features stories, scripts, and poems from forty Australian and international winning and commended writers from the Minds Shine Bright writing competition. 

The Confidence Writing Competition is held once every two to three years by Minds Shine Bright. It is part of an ongoing exploration of the confidence theme in literature, which provides some insights into our lives and times and shifts in contemporary writing. Minds Shine Bright runs an annual writing competition with themes and anthology series including Confidence, Seasons and Places.

The Confidence 2 Book Launch, Finding New Voices, was held at the stunning Geelong Library and Heritage Centre in partnership with Geelong Regional Libraries. CEO Vanessa Schernickau opened the event, which was hosted by Minds Shine Bright Founder Amanda Scotney. Photos of the Confidence 2 Book Launch were taken by Zev Howley.

Amanda’s philosophy is “it doesn’t matter what you look like, where you are from or how old you are, it is just your words on the page that matter”

Helen Booth from Anglesea, Victoria, the overall competition winner, read from her short story Drift, which is set in Victoria’s stunning alpine country and shared some insights on her main character: “While Jake excels at sport and maths, he tends to procrastinate when it comes to literature and expressing his feelings, but larger forces are at play. He learns that sometimes it’s not about winning but about being your best self.”

Writer and short filmmaker Rylan Rafferty, visiting from Las Vegas, read from her short story Mop Walks into a Bar and treated the audience to a short film version too. We were delighted to have Rylan and Ben visit and we enjoyed giving them a whirlwind tour of Melbourne, St Kilda Marina, Fitzroy, ACDC lane, the clocks and a drink with Chloe.

Visiting New South Wales writer Zofia Kuypers read from her short story The Things We Tell Ourselves

Catalina Steriu, who recently visited Victoria from Romania, made a video reading as did poets Valerie Wallace, Jonathan Greenhause and Susan Y. Hoffman and short story writers Dan Micklethwaite from Yorkshire, Andrea McMahon from Tasmania and Tamra Palmer from New South Wales. You can view each of the videos on the Minds Shine Bright YouTube Channel (@mindsshinebright8617).

Distinguished panel members author Kgshak Akec, poet Jennifer Harrison, filmmaker Katrina Mathers, and theatre maker Dr Christine Davey discussed the importance of building confidence in creative communities, which can be a lifeline; and issues such as ongoing rejection, imposter’s syndrome, insufficient funding, professional development, and seeking and creating opportunities for writers and poets to be seen, heard and read.

Greater Geelong has a range of libraries, poetry, writing, theatre and other arts groups like Geelong Writers and lowercase poetry that provide resources and points of connection for local writers. Geelong has a vibrant and thriving arts scene.

A talented group of Greater Geelong and Western Victoria writers, including Kym Tyzack, Motherlove Caitlin Mahony, Puncture Jaz Ward  A Woman in her Coat and Helen Booth, Drift are published in Confidence 2.

Other local writers included Leone Gabrielle who read her prose poem Messenger from Confidence 2 and flash fiction The Visitor from Storm and The Clock Reads by Sydney based writer Niamh Kelleher. Poet Shoshanna Rockman read Caravan Therapy from Confidence 2 and Dragons Don’t Smoke from Confidence.

Local writer Steve Fendt read from Gone South and Alexandra Svoboda read from All the Pain and All the Jo. Both short stories are from the first Confidence anthology, Confidence, Minds Shine Bright anthology 2022.

Long-listed local poet Coral Reeve read her powerful poem My Poise. 

Audacious script readings by local actors received much applause and laughter from an appreciative audience. Emma Acquilina and Bharat Wadhwa brought  The Last Ten Seconds, by Grace Keller from Texas, to life or was it death?

Emma joined long-listed screenwriter Maha Sidaoui and fellow actors Liz Wason and Suzy Sainovski to read an uproarious scene from House of Burlesque. 

Local actors read stories from international and interstate writers. Emma  Aquilina made the transformation from wolf to girl in her stunning reading of When I am the Wolf by Kathryn Le Mon, from Columbus, Ohio; winner of the Flash Fiction Prize.

Actor Meryl Whiteside read superbly from I Forgot by F.L. Rose from Burragate, New South Wales Twin Tub by Max Riddington from Dorset and When Winter Went by Hannah Brown from Tokyo. Liz Wason read Heartbeat by Emily Robertson from Pinjarra, Western Australia and Somebody by Sue Pincham from NSW. Suzy Sainovski read from Nasti Pesto by Dee Barragry from Dublin, Ireland and Lifting The Pall by Matthew Pitt from Fort Worth Texas.

The stars of the open mic session were Tony Hewson; who debuted reading three poems; Nicole Langtip read an extract called The Reckoning from her novel in progress Grandma’s Brothel and Alexandra Svoboda read an extract from the manuscript in progress Field 13.

It was an uplifting afternoon, infused with joy and laughter. Congratulations to the forty writers and poets published in Confidence 2 Minds Shine Bright anthology Confidence 2 is now officially launched.

Special thanks to everyone who made the Confidence 2 Launch such a success, including Vanessa, Caz, Gillian, Rebecca and the Greater Geelong Regional Library Corporation teams who provided tdedicated support; to all of the writers and actors who read, made videos and brought stories and poems to life; to each of the panel members for your wisdom and insights; to Theresa and Tony for selling our first copies of Confidence 2, to Leone Gabrielle for her kind assistance at the Launch; to Geelong Writers to Lady and the Fox caterers who delivered a delightful afternoon tea. Thanks to the book lovers and readers who came along to the launch and celebrated with us.

Confidence 2 is now available in print for your reading pleasure. The e-book will be available later this year. You can find Confidence 2 in independent bookshops, at larger bookstores and online retailers and in the Minds Shine Bright bookshop. The e-book will be available later this year.

Next time you visit the Bellarine Peninsula or travel down the Great Ocean Road you can support independent bookshops and purchase a copy of Confidence 2 from Great Escape Books at Airey’s Inlet, Heads & Tales Bookstore at Barwon Heads, Torquay Books in Torquay or at The Bookshop at Queenscliff. CONFIDENCE 2 – AVAILABLE NOW