Acknowledgement of Country:
We acknowledge that we pray, discern, learn, and write on land which Aboriginal people have been custodians of since time immemorial. We honour this history and commit ourselves to working for right relationships between people, with the land, and with the Creator Spirit.
When I (Bree) started writing on the Internet four or five years ago now, I quickly developed friendships that spanned time-zones and national boundaries. The network of support and encouragement was central to my growth as a writer and the cultivation of my voice. For a few years there, my tribe of online friends became the only church I could really call ‘home’. I found such camaraderie and understanding during that time, getting to know others through their unique perspectives on faith and life, within their own communities and cultures. America, Asia, the UK, and Pacific Islands… most of the writers I was meeting online had one thing in common: they were women subverting the prevailing narrative of conservatism within their faith of origin. Writing online was one way that women’s voices could be heard – women who had not previously been given a voice or a platform due to misapplied scripture and internalised patriarchy. They were skirting the gatekeepers, turning their backs on the walls erected by fear and prejudice, ignoring the hoops that others demanded they jump through. They wrote provocatively and truthfully, they were the key-droppers of which Hafiz wrote. They were throwing open the gates, calling for justice, rallying for peace. It was one way that heaven was made manifest on Earth.
One thing that wasn’t present in all of this, however, were other Australian women. And so, The Priscillas was conceived and born, literally within the space of about half an hour. I created a Facebook group, invited all the Australian women I knew who were writers or bloggers or poets (about 12 at the time, haha). And that was that. It’s been a slow burn – about a year ago I realised that we needed a clearer vision, which you can find here, along with a link to our Facebook group, if you would like to join.
Eventually, readers, you will find this space to be a hub for discovering a wealth of Australian Female Voices writing about faith, life, and everything in between. Thanks for visiting!
