When you look up at a midnight sky, what do you seemottled stars and a full Moon trying hard to compete with the street lamps for your attention? You might be situated in a city, or its sprawling suburbs, where the ever-present urban glow tends to keep your gaze horizontal, missing out on the beckoning mysteries of the Universe. This Skywriters anthology will change all that. Through the eyes and creativity of people who write about south-eastern inland Australia, well redirect your vision upwards to a brighter Moon, the subtle presence of nearby planets, the cosmic spectacular of our Milky Way galaxy and those celestial bodies even further away. Youll find inspiring stories, poems and essays by a great diversity of Australians responding to what some have called the Inland Astro-Trail, which connects rural and remote communities with world-class astronomical observatories such as those at Parkes, Siding Springs and Narrabri. Some skystories are literary, others intensely personal, but all are guaranteed to widen your horizonsupwards!
Merrill Findlay is a writer and cultural development practitioner who now lives in Forbes, NSW. Her published work includes a critically acclaimed novel, Republic of Women (UQP 1999), book chapters, blog posts, speeches, scholarly articles, conference papers, an opera libretto, and features for the mainstream press, such as The Age, Good Weekend, and the Canberra Times. Her most recent cultural interventions include The Skywriters Project and the Inland Astro-Trail.
"This anthology beautifully tells the stories from the perspective of people who live on the land, and their connection to Space in this most important of astronomical areas. From behind the scenes of some of the biggest astronomical events, to stories of viewing parts of our galaxyviews that billions of people across the world can no longer seewe gain an insight into a new universal reality as humans on our planet Earth, orbiting around our star, the Sun, in our galaxy, the Milky Way. Brad Tucker, Research Fellow, Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University
The many voices of Dark Sky Dreaming speak to the canopy of stars that web our memories, carbon cells and spirit, reminding us that we share the same wide sky. Though each Skywriter charts a different astral track, this celestial compendium connects us to something numinous, inviting us to see the universe anew. Tamryn Bennett, Artistic Director, Red Room Poetry
In the company of these stargazing storytellers, under a night sky so exuberant and immense, its possible to loosen yourself from the world of cities and forebodings and experience again that childhood sense of being an enchanted guest in a majestic and marvellous world. Peter Bishop, Writers Advocate"
