​

Hello, and welcome to this website designed to support 'Take Shelter'.

Many people have asked me why I chose to write this book - it's because I am unable to walk past anything that I feel is unfair or wrong. Of course, this has led to many tricky situations where I have protested situations, or tried to take matters into my own hands, and come unstuck. But as Edmund Burke observed:

'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.'

​

Past and present government policies concerning refugees and asylum seekers have been so draconian that people who came here peacefully, seeking only freedom from harm, have been left damaged and re-traumatised, with many imprisoned and detained for years and years. Australia's record in this area of human rights is disgraceful.

But there are many people who work tirelessly for change. When I came across Rural Australians for Refugees and Grandmothers for Refugees I really felt I had found my soulmates. And there are many other associated groups offering support and practical help. Yet in spite of our best efforts, government intransigence means innocent people are still incarcerated without medical attention or any prospects of salvation.

Another area that concerns me is the treatment of vulnerable and elderly people in our aged care facilities. While heartened when a Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was established in 2018, I have been extremely saddened by the lack of response to its findings and can't help contrasting this with the enormous coverage given to the Banking Royal Commission. Are banks and financial institutions more worthy of attention than elderly vulnerable people? Surely not.

There are many wonderful aged care facilities observing best practices and offering excellent care, and it's a shame these have suffered from the bad publicity given to the 'rogue' homes and carers, but we must remain vigilant and continue focus on those that do not.

​

Medicine has undergone a stunning transformation, with the last few decades seeing progress in technologies that have changed medical care to a level almost beyond imagination. Treatments thought to be too risky to contemplate have now become standard, offering many patients extra years to spend with their loved ones.

While this is wonderful news, like everything, it comes at a price – the inability to die a timely and dignified death without intrusive technology. These days, if we do not actively plan for our death, we may find ourselves kept alive, and our families agonising over decisions they must take should we become unable to speak for ourselves.

​

Don’t be alarmed, there are many useful publications that can help us to decide (like Deirdre did) what we would like for ourselves. It’s not maudlin or depressing, just a sensible response to a situation that can help our loved ones navigate a tricky time. So, in the reference section, I am including some excellent books and resources that you may find useful.

The characters portraying Selva and his friends are loosely based on the many Tamil asylum seekers who came by boat to Australia, fleeing the vicious and brutal civil war that raged in Sri Lanka for more than 25 years. In 2009, I became pen friends with one of them, a young man called Paheertharan Pararasasingam (Para). Our friendship grew, and together we wrote his story, ‘The Power of Good People’ www.thepowerofgoodpeople.com

I have included a list of books that will help you to understand the Sri Lankan civil war - as much as war can ever be understood – and the effects the war has had, and continues to have, on the thousands of innocent civilians caught up in it.

Profits from the sale of 'Take Shelter' will be directed to 'Yarl Aid' - a charity in Sri Lanka that helps people affected by the war.

​

​

​