Book launch of Into the Light with Michael Harding as guest speaker

Corina Duyn & Michael Harding at Dzogchen Beara Care Centre-
Book launch of Into the Light

Well, What can I say...
The first book launch was really a week long event. Everybody who was there was in some way involved in the preparation of the book launch.  Guests and staff alike. It was truly extraordinary.  Boxes were assembled, dinners were cooked,  layout for the launch were discussed and planned, breakfast was made, books were admired and purchased days before the actual launch.My deepest gratitude to everybody involved.I could not have done this launch without this support.

We had a private 'ceremony' in the conservatory of room 4 of the Care Centre, where the book in its present format came into being, just over a year ago. I had the honour to share this with John,  the spiritual care staff I have shared many hours talking with over the past year. With Mary and Karin of the Care Centre, and with Peter Cornish who was the brains behind Dzogchen Beara all those years ago. See here for his story 

The day of the launch started with the most amazing light flooding the ocean. It seemed the sunniest day of the year.  During the morning meditation I was thinking how I decided on the title Into the Light at least 2 years ago, as if I knew that when I would launch the book, there would be this extraordinary light. Mother Nature- so much present in my book, was doing her bit on launch day!

"prayer flags" book pages

Book Launch  at Dzogchen Beara Care Centre

Juliana and Tony at Dzogchen Beara Care Centre

Corina Duyn and Peter Cornish at Dzogchen Beara Care Centre-

Juliana played the violin when people came into the Centre for the launch.  Malcolm from Dzogchen beara opened the event with an informative talk about the Care Centre and introduced Michael Harding, the guest speaker for the event.

 Michael Harding at Dzogchen Beara Care Centre

Michael said it was a real honour to be here. He told some stories about meditation -  looking cross eyed -  having a tendency to not succeed at anything but is very good at being himself.Looking at the book pages pages hanging like prayer flag in the hallway –  he said how I used my art to enter into those spaces of unease, to enter into those spaces where you feel isolated in yourself, to feel all those terrible things illness brings forth. Quoting Susan Sontag he reminded us that we are all human, we are all going to be ill and going to die... 

"The words in this book - Into the Light- are from the heart. They are realisations- rather than ideas.They are a beautiful kind of resource. It is beautiful and extraordinary… The artist used her illness - something that happened to her - to go deeper, querying the joys of being alive. The words and images tell us not to be afraid. It is beautiful here too. And that is an amazing thing. So thank you for that.”


I had to follow this wonderful talk which provoked laughter and contemplation.Thank goodness Michael suggested for Juliana to play a little more music. It gave me the chance to compose myself. I told a little about how Dzogchen Beara and the care centre were an important factor in how the book became a book in a box. Inspired by the prayer flags, the people I met, the reality of my challenging health at the time.  "The final presentation of a creative project about the people would in time. Influenced by circumstance, people, media, and location. Change these elements and the outcome is different." I thanked all the people who were involved in bringing this project to its completion, including the generous funding from Rehab and read a few of my pages, with a little explanation of the thoughts behind the words.

Corina Duyn and Michael Harding at Dzogchen Beara Care Centre- Into the Light Book Launch

small exhibition during book launch at Dzogchen Beara Care Centre-
with few sculptures and tapestries

See and hear a little of the launch at youtube

It was a truly memorable event. 

One filled with beauty and kindness.

THANK YOU ALL!

The next launch is scheduled for Thursday 24 September at Lismore Library, West Street, Lismore, Co Waterford at 7 PM with the guest speaker Padraig Naughton, Director of Arts and Disability Ireland.
All Welcome!!

I will also be selling my book during Culture Night, 18th September in Waterford City, upstairs at Greyfriars.

What makes 'Into the Light' into a book...

A book in a box, with loose sheets requires a bit of assembling...

One of the boxes full of Boxes

Boxes full of book pages

all the other bits:
bookmark-invites; bookmarks, sleeves for the boxes, stickers for inside the box...

A room full of boxes...
Heike helping me! Thank goodness!

My job: Signing and labeling the boxes

Box- with sleeve

Back of sleeve

Into the Light- fully assembled

Opening the Box

Loose pages in the box

Into the Light Book Pages and box with sleeve

Me and Mary Quinn, who was the first person
to pick up her copy of Into the Light

All done.

Ready for the Book launches!!

can't come to the launch? Book also available from my shop

and a little  Story about book-babies

Book-babies

Book-Baby, sculpture in 'Into the Light' box

Bringing a creative project to a conclusion is almost as if you're about to give birth. On this occasion, giving birth to a "book-baby".

Last year August my friend Dolores and I talked about our book-ideas. Both were in the planning for years, but that day we both made a firm commitment to bring our ideas into life.
To really get "pregnant". To grow that seed of thought into reality.

You can say that writing a book comes with all the uncertainties of a pregnancy; will it grow full-term, what will it look like, will it be healthy, what do other people think, where will it be delivered, will it have a good life, will I be a good 'mother'...
(Deciding on design, paper, looks, size, who will publish it, who will print)

Into the Light - Corina Duyn & In the Veins - Dolores Ronayne

One year, and a lot of hard work later, we met to share the proofs of our labours.
We had a "Book-Baby-Shower" as it were. A celebration in anticipation of the real birth.
Twins!

I know, it sounds far fetched, this baby-thing. but trust me, I have had this conversation with other self-published authors and artists. Being creative IS like bringing a child into the world. It has the essence of our very being. Our DNA.




Into the Light is now a reality.
500 'babies' have been born.
It will be officially launched in a week's time at Dzogchen Beara

In the Veins will be launched in Dungarvan on the 10th September.

Both 'book-babies' are embarking on a new adventure, a new life.

All my 'Book-Babies'

Book launch of 'Into the Light' at Dzogchen Beara

Sample pages and Box of 'Into the Light' by Corina Duyn

Into the Light is an Artist Book-in-a-wooden-box. Each loose sheet has a short reflection on life with chronic illness/disability, although its wisdoms are also applicable to many of life’s challenges. Fear, hope, acceptance, society's attitudes, the power of creativity and moments of gratitude are all explored. Supported by quotes from a great variety of authors, each sheet is illustrated with Corina’s stunning nature photographs and her imaginative art. The reader becomes part of the project by deciding the sequence of the pages, to take one out, hang them up like prayer flags, or post them off to friends or family. The project has received much praise, and received funding from the Rehab Visual and Performing Arts Fund and Waterford Council Publising Fund. Corina has a great capacity to help others with your work.   Tobi Zausner, PhD, LCSW, Writer and Therapist. USA It is wonderful the way Corina has brought this book into being for the benefit of others. Vidyamala Burch, Author of Mindfulness for Health, UK  ‘Living our lives fully, completely, without rejecting anything’, that is what Into to Light has shown me. Pascale De Coninck, Artist & Mindfulness Teacher, Ireland The first book launch will be on Sunday 6th September at 3pm, at the Dechen Shying Care Centre, Dzogchen Beara, Allihies, West Cork. Guest speaker is author Michael Harding, author of the multi award winning book Staring at Lakes, and his more recent publication Hanging with the Elephant .

All Welcome. Dechen Shying is wheelchair accessible. For further details see website or Facebook  or Dzogchen Beara Facebook  The second launch is on Thursday 24th September at Lismore Library. Guest speaker is Padraig Naughton from Arts and Disability Ireland. More about this later.

If you can't come to the launch, but like to own a copy of Into the Light, please visit my shop

Michael Harding

Corina Duyn

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Corina Duyn studied and worked as a palliative care nurse and as care worker in her native Holland. It was after moving to Ireland in 1990 that her creative life took off.  Her Fantasy Folk Artist Dolls are in private and corporate collections in Ireland, Europe and USA. From 1998 she unintentionally embarked on a new creative journey, mapping her experiences of living with the chronic illness ME. Living life in the slow lane, she became a great observer of her immediate surroundings, which made  their presence known in her art and subsequently in her writing.  This resulted in several solo exhibitions and publication of three books: Hatched, a creative journey through ME. (2006); Cirrus Chronicles - Landing in Ballynelligan (2009); Flying on Little Wings (2011). Published by Little Wings. During the first fourteen years of illness, the focus of her art was that of the life-cycle of a bird. Starting life afresh as the embryo in an egg - growing into an adult bird. After reaching a new level of acceptance with her circumstances, her artwork changed to exploring the experience of being more grounded and rooted. Perhaps her desire to fly was also a flying away from the reality of pain and isolation?  This acceptance was also the seed for Corina to attend a year of Disability Studies at UCC in 2012/13. This course greatly influenced her focus in life and art, and was the start of the Into the Light project.

Book Launches of Into the Light by Artist and writer Corina Duyn

Please join us for the Book Launches of Into the Light

 by Artist and writer Corina Duyn

 Sunday 6 September, 3 pm

Dechen Shying Care Centre Dzogchen Beara Allihies, West Cork

Guest speaker: Michael Harding

Author Staring at Lakes / Hanging with the Elephant, playwright & Irish Times columnist

Directions: Dzogchen Beara , (027) 73032

RSVP Corina

AND

Thursday 24 September 7pm

Lismore Library Lismore, Co. Waterford

including an exhibition of Corina's Artworks 

Guest speaker: Pádraig Naughton

Director Arts and Disability Ireland

Exhibition runs till 15th October

Contact Corina  if you’d like to book a group-talk at the library during the exhibition

Directions:  Lismore Library, (058) 21377

RSVP Corina

 Into the Light is also available from shop page

If you would like to purchase one of the artworks or, ahead of the exhibition in September, please see the relevant pages.

supported by 

Almost there

pages from Into the Light

The last edit! At least until I meet my mentor Grace Wells and proof reader Pascale De Coninck on Wednesday.

I read through all the pages - again- and - again- and looked at all the images. Changed some that did not come out too clear on the proofs, some where another photo or artwork just would work better with the quote and my text.

The pages you see on the photo are the back of the sheets which has my thoughts on it. And a small image taken from the front of that sheet. I was trying to work out the sequence. Although there really is no sequence. THAT is up to the reader!!

I must say I am was "little" overwhelmed by everything that I need to do for the launches in September. Suddenly there are deadlines to be met. The boxes needed to be ordered as it take a few weeks to have them made. The printing needs to be done, which of course requires editing first. 

Who will be the guest speaker at the launches... Invitations to create and later post out. Press releases to write and send out. ISBN or not? Contacting all the funders to my Fund It campaign, and post out rewards...The list is seemingly endless.

BUT, I made the list. Which I was then able to divide the tasks up in the weeks when they really need to be done. I was able to see who can help me with which task. 

It is all a little more manageable now.

And at the same time, It is all SO exciting. And the emails, and personal words from well wishers is never ending.

All good!
Thank you!!

You can order your own signed and numbered copy.

Wooden box €30. Orders placed before the 15th August will be posted free of charge. 

After the 15th €37 Ireland, €38.50 Rest of the world.

Linen special edition of 12, €120. Free postage to anywhere in the world.

To order please visit my SHOP