22 February 2019

A group of aspiring young authors from Marymede Catholic College, South Morang, paid their respects to the victims of the Black Saturday bushfires by publishing a book of poetry titled Poetic Voices from Black Saturday.

The students were led by the college’s creative writing teacher, Mr John Milides, and, through the power of literature, focused on giving voice to the victims who either lost their lives or were affected by the natural disaster.

‘As their teacher, and their first reader, I am most impressed by the poetry produced by these fine young poets. Their writing is full of pathos, emotion, pain and compassion. The poetry redeems the victims by taking their personal tragedies and turning them into a communal sharing of pain and its aftermath’, said Mr Milides.

Students recently participated at the Kinglake Ranges Combined Churches Black Saturday 10th Anniversary Memorial Service on Sunday 10 February.