Our member John Holden and recent Editor of the Networker has highlighted what brought him to the love of reading and writing,
By John Holden
When I retired, I decided to do a diploma course in writing and editing. Since childhood, I’ve
always been a keen reader, so becoming a writer seemed like a logical step. The CAE
(Council of Adult Education) in Melbourne had a university level course which had a good
name, so I enrolled in that.
The course was one of the best things I have ever done. The teachers were inspiring and I
learnt a lot. Near the end of the course, one of the other students asked me to join a writing
group she was in. That was twenty years ago, and I’m still in it. A good writing group will
support you, encourage you, and become your friends.
I like writing freeform poems, because you can have fun with them. They don’t have to
rhyme or have punctuation. Inspired by Christopher Isherwood, I have also written a series of
short stories set in Berlin, although mine are nothing like his. Berlin is a place I have liked
going back to, and I enjoyed using it as a backdrop to my short stories.
