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You didn’t land here by accident.
You’re here because something tore your world apart, and you needed a place where that truth could exist out loud.
Maybe it was a loss.
Maybe it’s someone you love who’s grieving.
Maybe you’re a therapist, a friend, a parent, trying to understand what this ache really is.
Or maybe the silence around death just got too loud.
Whatever brought you here,
you needed a space where things don’t have to be okay to be real.
This is that space.
This is where I lay it down - the rage, the ache, the softness, the survival.
This is where I tell the truth about loss in a world that keeps asking you to move on.
- Kirsten
A quiet question
Whose name do you miss hearing this week?
You can sit with this, write it down, or email it to me.
If you do, I’ll read it. No fixing, no pressure, just listening.
Not sure where to start?
What’s New in This Space
Small updates, big feelings - the latest from This is Grief.
This week held a mix of creative finishes and outward steps.
Some deeply personal, some very public. All of it meaningful.
Here’s what’s been unfolding.
• New on the Blog - “Say their name.”
A piece about one of the simplest and kindest things we can do for someone who is grieving, speaking the name of the person they love. Not avoiding it. Not tiptoeing around it. Saying it, and letting them still be present in the room.
• Agent Requests - CTC and Stay
An agent has requested both Composed Through Chaos and Stay. That moment never feels normal, no matter how many times it happens; equal parts hope and deep breathing.
• Manuscript Complete - Stay: A Dog’s View of Love, Grief and Ordinary Days
I’ve finished the full draft of Stay, written through Buster’s eyes. It’s tender, grounded, and quietly powerful; a different doorway into grief, told through loyalty, routine, and everyday love.
• A Week of Conversations
Five podcast interviews were recorded this week; honest conversations about grief, suicide loss, love, and what continues after the worst has happened. I’ll share each one as they’re released.
• RNZ Interview Confirmed
I’ll be joining RNZ Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan on 9 February to talk about The Year After Kahlia and this work more broadly. A big conversation, and an important one.
• Book Launch RSVP Window Closed
The RSVP date for the launch has officially closed. If you’re hoping to attend and haven’t responded, you’re welcome to email me as soon as possible and I’ll do my best to fit you in.
Some weeks are about writing.
Some are about being heard.
Some are about letting the work travel further than you expected.
Thank you for walking beside me through all the chapters - the ones already written, and the ones still finding their voice.
For more gentle reminders and reflections, follow along:
@thisisgriefnz on Instagram
This Is Grief on Facebook
@thisisgrief6 on TikTok