“[A]mong the factors determining whether you will live or die [in a disaster] are the health of your immediate community and the justness of your society.” – Rebecca Solnit

Rebecca Solnit’s book A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster paints a beautiful picture of who we really are when trouble strikes. Throughout the book she explores 5 different disasters and reveals how communities come together in ways so beautiful they reminisce about it later (despite the way media, business and sometimes even government do their best to tell a different story).

Facilitated by South Hobart local Millie Rooney, you’re invited to an hour of conversation and discussion based on the introduction to A Paradise Built in Hell. Millie will have some prompt questions to guide the conversation if needed (like, can we build paradise without having to build it in hell!? And does building paradise now mean hell will be less hellish!?) but bring your reflections, your questions and willingness to listen generously.

Whether you have a PhD in politics or literature, or haven’t opened a book since grade 3, you’re welcome to join in (just please at least attempt the required reading before the session!).

To help us get a sense of numbers, please book a ticket. This will also enable us to send out the reading to you by email.

Required reading:

· Prelude: Falling Together from Rebecca Solnit’s A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster (12 pages). We will send you a pdf of this when you register :)

Additional reading

· If you’re interested in how Millie and her colleagues have drawn on Rebecca Solnit’s ideas to make the case for community building as real disaster resilience work, you can read their work over at www.australiaremade.org/care-disaster)

This event is part of the 2024 South Hobart Resilience Fair, organised by volunteers from South Hobart Sustainable Community Inc and supported by the City of Hobart through an Events Grant.