While I was having a wonderful time in Ireland pounding out the first draft of Novel 3, the kids of Anjali House were holding their third Writing Workshop. In between writing episodes about fictional lives in Siem Reap, real lives in Siem Reap were being poured into poetry and short stories which were then forwarded my way via the magic of the internet. Talk about feeling connected! Their work is as mesmerising as ever, and it was interesting to me to see how the work of the new kids differed from those who had worked through the process before. Not better or worse. Just different.

In the past I have sent them photographs or ideas to use as prompts for their writing. But this time we did something different. The end of the workshop coincided with the annual Angkor Photo Festival. This festival was started years ago by an international group of photojournalists who then also began to put cameras into the hands of local street kids. Those kids became the first group to attend the shelter which has now become Anjali House, and now with its Writing Workshop, we decided it was time to combine the two arts projects together. So this time the kids used their own photographs as prompts and I think the results are quite beautiful. As they say, “Imagination is the Best Power.” I am so proud to be a part of it, and I can’t wait to be back with them leading their next workshop in March.

I wish I could show you all 28 pages of this issue, but I can’t. Instead, here’s an example: