“Passion for Prose” is a zine on books, reading, writing and community, published on the first day of each month. It currently has two editions — one featuring Melbourne UNESCO City of Literature (“City Edition”) and the other featuring the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges (“Hills Edition”).
The zine features local literary and arts events, book reviews, new title recommendations, and a section called “My Reading Path” that discusses issues relating to reading and writing.
For the “City Edition”, a special international supplement is provided in January, April, July and October, featuring reviews of books published overseas and book-ish international news.
The zine is born out of my voluntary work for The Star Mail since February 2021. Every week, a 500-word piece is published via the column “Passion for Prose” that either reviews a book by an Australian or international author or recommends/promotes a local, national or international literary event. Thanks to the newspaper’s print and digital reach as part of the Star Mail Group, I am able to serve the reading communities across the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges.
It feels amazing to be part of the community and to give back to it, even when my contribution is a meagre 500-word article every week. Yet, after more than three and half years of voluntary work, I can’t help but feel that my passion and ambition for everything about literature and literacy has somehow outgrown the newspaper column.
Local and community newspapers are doing it tough these days, facing fierce competition from online and multinational media corporations that focus more on making profits than serving the varied needs of local communities. As Paul Thomas, owner and director of the Star Mail Group, recently observed in his article “News never more important”:
“While global headlines may dominate, it’s the local stories that are the heartbeat of our communities. Public interest journalism serves not only as a watchdog but also as a bridge between the people and their local governments, businesses, and neighbours.”
“In regional and local towns, local newspapers are often the sole providers of information that directly impacts residents’ daily lives. From covering council meetings to reporting on issues like infrastructure development or the success of local businesses, these newspapers perform a critical function. When journalists shine a light on important issues, they empower their communities to engage, voice concerns, and demand accountability.”
Inspired by these words, I know I can do much more to advocate for literature and literacy. But it would be unfair to request more support from the local newspaper that is already working so hard and doing an excellent job advocating for the varied needs of our many communities.
So, while continuing to write for The Star Mail on a voluntary and weekly basis, I want to share my love and passion for books, reading and writing with the wider community. Not just readers in the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges, but those across Melbourne UNESCO City of Literature and beyond.
While “Passion for Prose” is now a zine of only 8 pages (12 with the special international supplement), it has potential to grow, and it is diligently edited, printed and bound like a proper publication. The zine represents this writer’s dream to be a journalist promoting literature and literacy. More importantly, it fulfils this citizen’s dream to give back to community and the wider society.
Thank you for reading this article. More information about the zine can be found by clicking the “Passion for Prose” tab on the top of this page.
Voices under the Sun 陽光下的聲音 