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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

Who are you still talking with in your heart?

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.

Email your answer (only if you want to)

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Not sure where to start?

Discover the Book -The Year After Kahlia
Visit the Blog
Explore The Grief Literacy Hub
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What’s New in This Space


Small updates, big feelings - the latest from This is Grief.

This week held both visibility and vulnerability.

Some meaningful outward moments, and some quieter, more personal ones too.

That’s often how this work moves, not in straight lines, but in layers.

Here’s what’s been unfolding.

RNZ Interview – Now Live
I joined RNZ Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan yesterday to talk about grief, love, and what continues after loss. It was a grounded, human conversation, and I’m grateful for the space it was given.
You can listen here

New on the Blog – “The World is Busy. I’m Still Talking With Her.”
A piece about the strange split between the outside world rushing forward and the inner world still in conversation with the one you love. About ongoing bonds, quiet connection, and how grief doesn’t run on the same clock as everything else.

The Year After Kahlia – Books in Hand
Printed copies have arrived and are now being prepared and sent out. Holding the finished book is still a surreal experience, every single time. Equal parts pride and ache.

Book Distribution Growing
The Year After Kahlia will now be stocked by Wardini Books, Volume Books, and through the Auckland Library system, alongside Poppies in Howick and Scorpio Books. Watching the book find its way into real community spaces feels deeply meaningful.

Podcast Conversations Continuing
Another podcast conversation was recorded this week, with more in the pipeline. I’ll share each one as they go live.

Writing Life – The Honest Version
Not every week brings good news in every corner. One of this week’s writing projects received a no from an agent. That’s part of the landscape too. A pause, a regroup, and continuing forward.

Some weeks expand outward.
Some weeks land closer to the bone.
Most are a mix of both.

Thank you for walking beside me through all the chapters - the ones already written, and the ones still finding their voice.

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