Heartfelt tributes were paid to group member and anthology contributor Reverend Pare Turei Patrick (Paddy) Noble, who passed away at the end of January.
Paddy was remembered as a writer, blogger, poet, friend and spiritual guardian who will always be remembered with love and joy.
His mother — Kitty Henry — and some of his whānau were at the launch.
Homage was paid to tutors and published authors Katrina Reedy and Regina de Wolf-Ngarimu, who encouraged group members to hone their writing skills over the past few years by providing writing tips, exercises and tasks, and advice on how to constructively critique their own and each other’s work.
The group also visited different venues around the city — from art galleries and the museum to the riverside and beaches — to get prompts and inspiration to write about various aspects from a personal viewpoint.
The seeds of the Writers Group were planted when Katrina Reedy walked through the doors of Tairāwhiti Technology Hub (TaiTech Hub) one day and said to manager Polly Crawford that she wanted to volunteer at the hub.
Polly volunteered husband Barney Crawford as the first participant in a writers group, saying “he always wanted to write”.
That was the humble beginnings of TaiTech Writers Group, which has morphed and grown since its inception.
“To stand on the mana of Te Tiriti o Waitangi is at the base of the writing courses and for participants to tautoko (support) each other as they write and learn is the kaupapa of the group,” Katrina said.
“I would also like to acknowledge our past students of the TaiTech Writers Group who formed the original pilot groups, In particular, I pay tribute to Rodney Baker, who passed away in 2022.
As well as being a tutor, Regina undertook the task of encouraging contributors to get their writing up to a publishing standard by editing their own and each other’s work.
She then set about the large task of using self-publishing computer software to design, upload and print hard copies of the book.
“It has been an amazing experience to walk alongside this beautiful group of creative people who have emerged as writers,” she said. “When I am asked ‘why did we write a book’, my reply is ‘ because we can’.”
Katrina and Regina have since taken a step back from their roles.
Katrina is focusing on other projects while Regina has plans to leave Gisborne and reside further up the East Coast.
The Writers Group members expressed their gratitude to the pair for the knowledge, time, skill, support and encouragement they received as individuals and a group.
The group will continue to meet at the Tai Tech Hub in Kaiti Hub the last Wednesday of every month, under the guidance of group members Molly Pardoe and Suzanne Pinfold.
“We invite people to come along and join our supportive and friendly TaiTech Writers Group,” Molly said.
“In this ever-changing world, many of our mokopuna have no real concept of how life was ‘back in the good old days’. Writing a memoir, or penning a story about your childhood, are ways of leaving a legacy for your whānau.
“Our group has also included members who ‘Zoom’ in on their devices from Wairoa, Tokomaru Bay, Tolaga Bay and Australia. There are no barriers or obligations to attend every meeting.
“We write for fun and for pleasure, share stories, laugh and enjoy a cuppa together.”
• Copies of Voices from the TaiTech Hub are available from the Hub.
Tairāwhiti Technology Trust (TaiTech) is a not-for-profit organisation that provides a variety of workshops, training — including mobile phone, laptop and computer courses — one-on-one mentoring and business networking. Polly and Barney are affectionately known as the “TaiTech Mum and Dad” for welcoming one and all to the safe and nurturing space in Kaiti Hub.
