Every Bottle Has a Story to Tell!
I was invited by Guildhall Press tonight to pop along and give a hand at the book launch of EVERY BOTTLE HAS A STORY TO TELL – Writings by the Foyle Haven Arts Collective (September 2011 – January 2013). This was not your normal book launch. This was a coming together of a number of people who have so many stories to tell. Stories that some of us might think we don’t want to hear….but when you hear them you become part of it. These people are truly inspirational in that they have come forward and put their experiences into words…stories, poems etc.
This collection of writings is truly inspiring, and hearing some of the writers read their work and tell their humble stories brought more than a tear to my eye tonight. It has opened up my mind and allowed me to realise just how vulnerable people can become. How addiction can take control and how difficult it really is to reclaim that control.
One man wrote a poem and told how he began drinking at age 13 along with a number of friends. He is the only one alive today! He’s doing his best and deserves our utmost respect. He certainly earned mine tonight.
I am now so looking forward to seeing the play, Every Bottle Has a Story to tell, this coming Saturday and learning even more.
This anthology is an honest and emotionally charged piece of work. It speaks volumes for a very unique community.