The Australasian Horror Writers Association Mental Health Initiative (AHWA MHI), also known as “A Cup of Stars,” focuses on mental health through a horror lens *. It seeks to connect members who are passionate about promoting good values and practices when writing and reading horror works that have a strong focus on mental health.
This initiative will provide a safe space to connect with other AHWA members in a way that is supportive, collaborative and affirming, where no one feels alone. The aims of A Cup of Stars can be found below.
All content produced as part of A Cup of Stars will be published on the Sinister Reads blog, bringing together interviews, essays, reviews, and creative work that explore mental health through horror. The latest contribution can be found below. And once you’re on Sinister Reads, you can view all content related to A Cup of Stars by selecting the Mental Health Initiative post category from the right-hand menu.
* It is important to note that the AHWA MHI is not a support group for mental health or members in crisis.
The Latest on Sinister Reads
MHI: An Interview with Alan Baxter
This is the second of the AHWA interviews for the mental health initiative. The first, in our March edition, featured Dave Jeffery. For this month Tee Wood sat down[…]
Why “A Cup of Stars?”
The name for the initiative is directly inspired by a quote from Shirley Jackson’s Haunting of Hill House (1959):
“Insist on your cup of stars; once they have trapped you into being like everyone else you will never see your cup of stars again.”
This quote has been chosen to celebrate that while mental health can often be a struggle, it can also be our strength. It can provide us with unique insight into ourselves and others, and encourages us to stay authentic and embrace our passions. It reminds us that while we understand we may have cracks, we are not broken.
As Leonard Cohen sings in Anthem (1992),
“There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”
The Aims of this Initiative
The aims of A Cup of Stars are to:
- Promote and support positive interpretations of mental health in the horror genre.
- Challenge stigmas and stereotypes associated with mental health in horror.
- Ensure mental health in horror is treated with respect and dignity, and without judgement.
- Highlight positive depictions (eg. published works) of mental health in horror with the intention of showing best practices and supportive / progressive ways to depict mental health in horror.
- Understand and be mindful that some members of the AHWA have lived experience of mental health challenges, and the stigmas they may face. In addition, to understand that these challenges may affect their capacity to be creative, or have impacted their ongoing careers.
- Understand the importance of raising awareness of mental health in horror, both in the community and through works created by the community. To acknowledge the strength and diversity of individual experiences.
- Build a library of resources/materials that support good practises when depicting mental health in horror to showcase positive/notable examples of accurate and supportive works.
- Invite members of the AHWA (predominantly with lived experience of mental health challenges) to share experiences and ideas in ways that promote good practices.
Featuring
A Cup of Stars will feature:
- Own works of horror fiction / poetry that focus on or include themes about mental health.
- Reviews of notable works that also add to a strong collection of ongoing resources.
- Essays / critique about a mental health topic in horror.
- Personal essays about lived experience of mental health challenges and horror including how horror has helped/supported the individual.
- Recorded panels led by knowledgeable moderators that focus on various mental health and horror topics.
Support
A Cup of Stars will support members by:
- Respecting and understanding that every individual’s lived experience of mental health is unique to them and to provide a safe and non-judgmental space where discussion can be held about mental health and horror.
- Compiling a list of recognised mental health charities and professional organisations that offer support and advocacy that AHWA members can freely access as needed.
- Promoting equality, diversity, sensitivity and respect in everything we do as part of the initiative and for those AHWA members who trust us to share their work.
