You are only good as your word.
And Kakanui author Linda Collins’ words are good.
So good, Ms Collins has been invited to be a guest writer at the prestigious Auckland Writers’ Festival this weekend.
She is speaking alongside poet and general practitioner Glenn Colquhoun who penned
Letters to Young People, a collection of poetry addressed to the young people he cared for as a doctor.
At the festival, they will speak about improving the lives of young people by talking about and reading sections of their work.
Ms Collins will read from her new book of poetry,
Sign Language for the Death of Reason. The collection is a continuation of her memoir,
JOHN BISSET/Stuff
Linda Collins is sharing her grief at losing her 17-year-old daughter to suicide to help prevent similar deaths.
An Otago-based author who lost her teenage daughter to suicide urges parents “don’t be fobbed off, keep pushing” when their child appears to be struggling. One morning, author Linda Collins went to wake her daughter Victora McLeod for school to find an empty bed. Police handed over her beloved child’s laptop months later, and she discovered the 17-year-old had been grappling with suicidal impulses for years. “My daughter’s death was preventable and I hope other people can use my knowledge so other lives can be saved,” Collins said.