A hotly-anticipated home-grown product is set to be launched at the Grafton Farmers Market on Thursday December 10 – and it’s a book, the 2020 anthology of Stories from the Clarence Valley.

Stories from the Clarence Valley – Land/marks is a collection of stories by 49 local writers.

It’s been a year in the making, according to Long Way Home co-founder Claire Aman.

“For the third year running, The Long Way Home ran a writing competition for Clarence Valley people of all ages. We’ve picked the best stories and published them as a book. Conceived, written, edited, designed and printed in the Clarence, it’s as local as you can get,” Claire said.

“The theme for the competition this year was land/marks, and it has really been a landmark year for writing. Co-founder Erin Brady and I were hugely impressed at the stories that landed in the competition. We weren’t sure if people would find the energy to write. So many were recovering from bushfire, working and learning from home due to the pandemic, or just learning the new steps in this very intense year.”

“To our surprise, we had a record number of stories. It just shows our imaginations are always at work, no matter what.”

The book will be launched at the Twilight Farmers Market at Market Square on Thursday December 10, at 5:30pm. Contributing authors will be there, and copies will be on sale.

“For writers who can’t make the Grafton launch, we’re also holding a pop-up launch at the Yamba Bowling on Saturday December 12, 10:30am – 11:30am,” Erin Brady said.

From December 11 Stories from the Clarence Valley – Land/marks will be on sale at Grafton Book Warehouse, South Grafton News and Gifts, and The Nook, Yamba.

‘It’s the ultimate Christmas present if you’re looking for a very unique, locally sourced gift,’ said Claire. ‘With exquisite illustrations by Yohanna Dent, it’s a book that celebrates our connections with each other across our beloved Clarence Valley landscapes.’