The Roaring Silence

The 79 contributors to THE ROARING SILENCE - a potent mix of artists, writers, poets, musicians and professionals - help to break this silence about suicide by courageously sharing their reality that life is both dark and bright and that none of us is immune from times of shadow. THE ROARING SILENCE is a community-led initiative and an aspect of The Depot Artspace's philosophy of empowering the community to tell its own stories and find its own solutions. Essential reading, its diversity and creativity is enlightening and empowering, challenging and reassuring. Suicide has been positioned as a dark taboo too dangerous to discuss, or too shameful to admit to. At the same time, the problem of suicide has grown. "We are hoping to open the dialogue about suicide and demystify it", says co-editor Amelia Harris. "In May last year we sent an open call-out for any and all creative works that expressed personal experiences with suicide. We received 79 submissions and each one is included in the book. It was important that the contributors, as a baseline, felt that they were accepted, listened to and respected (these basic principles can sometimes achieve quite a lot!)" "We're hoping this diverse approach will help the book reach the widest readership. Most people will find someone or something in the book that they can relate to. The space to discuss suicide isn't often opened up in our regular lives, and THE ROARING SILENCE gives a profound insight into how the reality of suicide and suicidal thinking is processed" says editor Linda Blincko.

Table of Contents:
iii. Foreword v. Introduction 1. Interviews and Essays 33. Poetry 57. Art 93. Raw 141. Prose 155. Help Directory

Review :
NZ Book Lovers http://www.nzbooklovers.co.nz/book-reviews/roaring-silence-depot-artspace The Roaring Silence is a collection of articles, interviews, poetry, fiction, prose, and art on the sensitive subject matter of suicide. It is a book that aims to demystify suicide and inspire conversations about suicide prevention. It is a visually appealing book, with artwork and photographs that are thought-provoking, sometimes challenging, but always presented with care. All of the contributors to The Roaring Silence have experienced suicidal thoughts, or have survived a suicide attempt, or have lost a loved one to suicide. There are also people working in the mental health field. They have certainly been courageous in sharing their work in this book. It is wonderful to see the variety of expression on this subject matter, and I think the diversity of the pieces will resonate in different ways with readers. The interviews are particularly useful, but in many ways the poetry, fiction and art are equally as illuminating in showing what it is like to be affected by suicidal thoughts or to have lost a loved one to suicide. Suicide is a subject that has been shrouded in shame and secrecy for too long. This book promotes sensitive discussion on the subject and shows how creative expression can be transformative and healing. And there are important messages in the book. Kristina Cavit stresses the importance of kindness, the section Sticks 'n Stones looks at how students can stand up against online bullying. Another chapter with Manu Fotu talks about how suicide prevention is everyone's business. There is information about who to call to get help. The poetry section of the book is elegant, thought-provoking, and insightful. The artwork in the book requires time to contemplate. I thought the image by Grant Alexander was particularly poignant. A chipped plate with the number '564' represents the number of people who died of suicide in New Zealand last year. Then there are the longer fiction pieces, all of them thought-provoking in different ways. I applaud the people who contributed to this book, and I'm sure this book will go on to inspire and assist people who may be struggling with anxiety or depression, and for families with someone who has committed suicide..