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A mental health education charity has released a collection of "powerful and moving" works by local authors which will be sold to raise money to support mental health services in Jersey.
The book, named ‘As Waves on the Sea’, was put together by Jersey Recovery College and contains 48 short stories and poems by local writers.
It touches on various topics such as overcoming challenges, long-distance relationships, depression, and friendship.
As Waves on the Sea is now available for pre-order, with physical paperbacks and digital copies set to go on sale from the end of the month.
The proceeds from the book sales will support the Jersey Recovery College which offers a range of free mental health courses for islanders.
Pictured: The charity anthology includes 48 short stories and poems by local writers.
Deputy CEO of Jersey Recovery College and local author Dreena Collins explained the inspiration behind the charity’s first anthology of short stories and poems.
She said: “Many of our students value writing as a route for self-expression, and for the processing of emotions, and consequently, Jersey Recovery College has run poetry sessions in the past.
“We know that creativity, in general, is a powerful means of helping to manage wellbeing: it can help to banish intrusive thoughts and boost self-esteem.
“Having writers amongst our staff, we decided that a local anthology would be a great opportunity for our students, and other members of the island community, to share their work more widely – and help to fundraise for the charity at the same time.”
As a result, in late 2023, local writers were invited to submit short stories and poems related to the charity’s themes of hope, opportunity, and empowerment.
Dreena said: “The college was blown away with the abundance of powerful and moving entries received, with 48 pieces making it into the final book.”
“There is an enormous diversity in the collection. We hope readers will be entertained and moved in equal measure.”
Pictured: Local author Dreena Collins is also the Deputy CEO of Jersey Recovery College.
She explained that the anthology title, As Waves on the Sea, was inspired by a line from one of the pieces, symbolising the tide as a metaphor for the journey of recovery.
Dreena continued: “The tide shifts and changes with a new day, cleaning the sand and giving an opportunity for a fresh start.
“We also firmly believe in Jersey as a ‘recovery landscape’: access to nature, the beach, and the outdoors are all known to have a huge impact on our mental health.”
An e-book version of As Waves on the Sea can be pre-ordered now via Amazon, while copies of the paperback will be available at a launch event at the Jersey Town Library on 29 February.
The physical book can also be ordered directly from Jersey Recovery College at hello@recovery.je.
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