About Lee
Lee Taylor-Friend – ‘The Poet from Snowy River’ – is a Mother, qualified massage therapist/yoga teacher/Trauma-Sensitive HeartMath Certified Practitioner, writer/poet and workshop facilitator living in the picturesque Snowy Mountains region of Australia with her husband (pictured here with Lee in New Zealand), two sons and a menagerie of animals.
She also creates and presents face-to-face and online writing/poetry/well-being workshops where she shares her love of the written word and passion for ‘Writing as Therapy’, ‘The Healing Art of Poetry’, encourages people to write their life story with her ‘Write your Life!!’ workshop and explore various healing modalities with her new ‘Everything is Energy’ workshop.
Over the past two decades Lee has been widely published, won several awards and had monthly features in the Snowy Times, Snowy River Echo and Monaro Post as well as volunteering her time for a variety of community events, local committees and causes.
Lee’s first book, ‘Tommys Girl’, was released as a paperback in 2007 and shares some inspirational stories of our Men and Women of the Australian ‘High Country’ as well as the authors reflections and observations of the iconic ‘Snowy Mountains’ written as ‘rhyming’ or ‘Bush’ poetry – a great Australian tradition. Lee dedicated this collection of verse to her Father – the late Thomas ‘Tommy’ Friend.
Her second book, ‘Moving On…Healing through Verse…’ was released in 2015. It is an honest, thought provoking and moving collection of poetry that is deeply personal.
Lee’s 2016 offering – ‘Daily Awakenings…A poem a day…Book one and two…’ came about via interesting circumstances.
Lee said:
“Like many parents wearing many hats it is not always easy to find time to commit to the things you are passionate about. At the end of 2015 I was contemplating this deeply. After praying and meditating on this conundrum the answer came – I would write a poem a day for an entire year!!
At first I rejected the idea as way too monumental a task for the likes of I, but the idea would not leave me. I did the only thing I could – I EMBRACED it!!!
Rather than bemoan the fact that I did not have the time for my creative endeavors I needed to make the time. There were moments when I was not sure if I could fulfil this titanic task but with determination, encouragement, perseverance (and some Divine guidance…) I wrote a poem a day for the entire year of 2016!!
I never expected that this personal challenge and 366-day commitment (Yes – it was a leap year!!) would turn into a two-part publication – that guidance came later…
It gave me an opportunity to expand and evolve on many levels. I found as the months progressed my writing dug deeper and deeper to a place of observation and simplicity. It became somewhat like a gratitude journal or a form of mindfulness, thus the subtitle for book one, ‘Mindfulness through Verse’.
It was suggested to me that it would be ideal if you, the reader, could read a poem a day on the day it was written exactly one year prior. With that in mind, I set about creating a two-book series on a very tight timeframe with book one needing to be released by December 2016.
Daily Awakenings…A poem a day…Mindfulness through Verse…’ book one (January – June) was launched at the Pauline Coxon Art Gallery on the 15th December 2016, in our beautiful Snowy Mountains, Australia.
‘Daily Awakenings…A poem a day…Connection through Verse…’ book two (July – December) was officially launched by Deputy Premier of NSW John Barilaro on the 26th May 2017, at Monaro Regional Library, Cooma, Australia with a great crowd attending!! A big THANKYOU to Monaro MP and Deputy Premier of NSW John Barilaro for his kind words, introduction and launch of my book.
My 5th book of poetry ‘Bush Mother…’ was officially launched on Saturday 7th December, 2019, by Mayor Peter Beer at the Snowy-Monaro Regional Library.
As it says in the foreword for ‘Bush Mother’:
“I am really excited about this book!! It shares much of my earlier work – some previously published, some unpublished. I feel like I am getting back to my roots in many ways by exploring the amazing highs, lows, complexities and humorous happenings that the motherhood journey can bring.
This year, 2019, sees many milestones for our family. Our eldest son Ben turns eighteen, our younger son Jake turns sixteen and my husband John and I celebrate twenty-five years married.
Oh, and I turned 50 last year too!!
This book has been an opportunity for me reflect, pause and celebrate these achievements.
Thank you for taking the time to read my book(s) and keep enjoying the journey – wherever it may take you…”
The Journey continues…xx
My books are all available through Amazon as both print on demand and e-books/kindle.
Please copy the link below to go to my Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01N9C8I0J
Signed copies of my books are also available to purchase at these selected stores in the Snowy Mountains:
Romance Me…Jindabyne
Earthsong Wellness…Cooma
Fox Tale Books…Cooma
Dorothy Dickens Books & Music…Cooma
High Country Press…Avonside
WORKSHOPS WITH LEE…
Lee presents a variety of workshops where she shares her passion for writing/yoga/health and well-being and encourages participants to explore the healing world of self expression…
If you would like Lee to bring her workshops to your town, group or organisation, either face-to-face or online, please contact her on (0408)166-200 or email: leetaylorfriend@hotmail.com
