The last session this year for Woolfson & Tay's quarterly true storytelling session, Life Stories Cafe, was appropriately themed 'Giving.' The line up was amazing, with writer Shaun Levin, poet Jacob Sam La-Rose, writer-photographer Naomi Woddis and writer-performer Olumide Popoola sharing. Writer-editor-publisher Dorothea Smartt emceed as always. The audience were also invited to share and give thanks at the end of the session. Thank you all for another magical evening of heartfelt sharing. See you next year in March for another inspiring and moving evening.

PS. If you'd like to speak at one of our future events, and have a yen for writing and speaking, you can contact us to let us know of your interest. The format for you to share your story is:
1. 20 images
2. 10 minutes
The theme for the March 2012 session is 'Womb' in honour of International Womens Day. We'll decide on the theme for the next 3 sessions shortly.

If interested, you can write Fran at this email address. Don't forget to include in the subject reference: Life Stories Cafe. We can't promise you a spot but we're open to considering your participation.

The second instalment of W&T's true storytelling event - Life Stories Cafe - was themed 'Time.' Poet Dorothea Smartt emceed. The evening kicked off with storyteller, photographer and blogger Julie Kertesz illustrating through images and words how the past, when viewed through the lens of experience and the present, can seem distorted - sometimes moving slowly, sometimes in a flash. She recounted the lessons of her childhood learned from her father, how these influenced her later on in life, and recollected vignettes of her life in Paris. Julie's humorous recounting had the room in stitches :)
This was followed by a moving reading by poet-performer Andra Simons, who shared the events and people that had shaped his life. Filmmaker and proprietor of Shortwave independent cinema, Rob Wray, spoke of his experience doing time and of the events that led to him being a wanted man. Photographer Reen Pilkington allowed her beautiful images to do the 'talking' , narrating the 20 images she showed with short powerful prose; illustrating the ravages of time on the body as she deals with illness. Poet Jane Liddell-King spoke about a Holocaust survivor named Alice who asks 'why should I die?' when the world still has much to offer despite her many struggles and challenges.
For those interested in sharing at the next session in June - it's simple: 20 slides of images, 10 minutes on the chosen theme. But as the title of the event suggests - Life Stories Cafe - it must be true and it must have at its core a life story. So if you'd like to be among the selected candidates, please get in touch with Shivaun.