POWA Writing Programme
In 2006 driven by the need to create a collective space through which women could share their stories of surviving gender based violence, we set up the Writing Programme, and invited women throughout the country to send us their short stories, poems and personal essays that told stories of survival.
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Since its inception there have been six anthologies published:
2005 - Breaking the Silence: Dreaming of living
2006 - Breaking the Silence: Positive Living Gender
2007 - Breaking the Silence: Murmurs of the girl in me
2008 - Breaking the Silence: Journeys to recovery
2009 - Breaking the Silence: Stories from the Other(ed) Woman
2010 - Breaking the Silence: Love & Revolution
In 2008 we reviewed the project’s structure and after much consideration decided to change it from a competition, to a programme, and by so doing set it up as a space that could be entered/occupied by as many voices as possible.
In 2009 as part of the change to the structure of the programme and also as way of further extending our help to aspiring writers, in addition to the publication of the anthology we added a number of components to the programme.
These included:
- The development of a writer’s guide called – The wayward woman’s guide to writing
- The development and conducting of a series of writer’s workshops, held annually in different provinces
- Setting up of a mentoring space designed to respond to the kinds of questions that most aspiring writers are likely to ask themselves
The latest book published is ~ Breaking the Silence: Love & Revolution
The theme for the 2011 women's writing project is: Sisterhood
The term sisterhood is often used to express relationships and connections built by women to express love, support and solidarity to one another. These connections may be a result of shared similar experiences or a collective understanding of ‘victimhood’ or survival; and what it means to be strong, courageous and powerful. This year, POWA is calling for poems, short stories and personal essays that tell of the experience and impact made through the contribution of women around you – mothers, grandmothers, sisters, family members, friends, neighbours, counsellors, partners, colleagues or other women – and the ways through which this has changed or revolutionised your life.