We held the TasWriters AGM on May 29 at Hadley's Orient Hotel. As always, a big thank you to Hadley's for their support and the comfortable venue. 

As many who have been long time attendees of our AGMs know, I have an intense dislike of public speaking, and the lead up to big meetings like that always make me anxious. I have to say that the feeling in the room on Thursday was incredibly warm and comfortable. There were long time members who always come out to support us, new members who were enthusiastic and positive and some new friends who hadn't joined yet but wanted to see what it was all about.

We even had people join us digitally for the first time!

After the meeting officially closed, almost everyone stayed to chat, eat some cheese and enjoy the atmosphere.

For those interested I've included the Chair's report which was read out on the night and is included in the annual report. I also want to thank everyone who came along, particularly those who were enthusiastic about the possibility of joining our committees to help us continue to encourage, support and connect Tasmanian stories and storytellers.

From the Chair

It may be amusing to some that my name appears twice here, once as the chair of the board of management and then again below as director. For health and family reasons I had to step back from that role and I wrote the Director’s report in May of 2024 at the behest of the forward thinking Sue Kennedy.

Forward thinking has been something of a theme behind the scenes for the board this past year. We hope you will have noticed an uptick in workshop activity, the feedback from which has all been amazingly positive. We have Leigh Swinbourne and Arianne James to thank for organising and managing those sessions and sourcing the feedback that we’re going to use to learn and grow.

What may not have been so obvious from the outside is the number of conversations being instigated or continued with stakeholders from around the state. Thanks to an engaged and energetic board, we’ve been developing the concept of a northern activity subcommittee which will be chaired by a northern board representative. Cathy Limb and outgoing board member Kylie Carman-Brown took the initiative to grow those contacts and have those conversations ensuring that in the coming twelve months, we can begin to provide meaningful support to writers in parts of the state that have long felt unheard.

There have also been long meetings behind closed doors. Some, like those Cathy and myself had with numerous stake holders, have to do with the City of Literature and have paved the way for Hobart City Council’s recent confirmation of ongoing support. Others were internal, where Deputy Chair Leigh Swinbourne, Secretary Sue Kennedy, Treasurer Erika Thomson and members Meahd Farnaby and outgoing members Kylie Carman-Brown, Nicola Ingram and Rayne Allinson put our heads together in energetic, sometimes fiery but always supportive and constructive discussions. These ranged from strategic planning to grant writing through the ins and outs of ensuring TasWriters continued viability.

It seems that every year I end up saying the same thing, because it has remained true for my entire tenure. TasWriters is its community. It is the energy, the perseverance, the hope and the joy that refuses to stop, even if sometimes we’re slowed down. Once again this year I have to express my gratitude to our community for staying with us, and to the board for their commitment, compassion and dedication.

For those board members who have had to step away this year, we are deeply indebted to the time you gave, but also confident in our flourishing relationship that continues to give me both strength and hope on the tough days. For those who remain for another year, my colleagues, compatriots and sometimes co-conspirators, “once more unto the breach.” And for our incoming board members, Judith Ridge, Ellie Campbell and Shelley O’Reilly, I have to warn you – we’re tilting the windmill on a horse we are learning to feed unassisted, armed with a pool noodle and a lexicon of powerful words. It’s difficult. It’s a marathon. It is worth it.

Cassandra Wunsch (from June 2024)

Chair, TasWriters Board of Management