MENTAL - a mental health publication for New Zealanders

WHAT IS MENTAL? Two good friends, Liv Young and Charlotte-Rose Ruddell are producing a book by New Zealanders for New Zealanders. MENTAL will evolve into a publication centred around real stories of New Zealand individuals and their personal experiences with mental health.

The team are aiming to publish the stories online and in print over the next 6 months with the financial support of the Boosted campaign and a print publisher. The dream is for the book to be available in book stores around New Zealand. The book is aimed at teenagers and adults.  

WHO ARE LIV AND CHARLOTTE? Both of us have experienced mental health issues and really believe in educating, supporting, and enabling conversations in and around mental health. Liv has a background in the arts, and is passionate about connecting good people, places, and projects. Charlotte-Rose is a primary-school teacher, and loves politics, reading, and cycling around New Zealand. 

HOW CAN YOU HELP? So far, the team have had an incredible number of submissions from a wide range of New Zealanders about their mental health. With your financial contibution, Liv and Charlotte willl use the funds raised to produce a website, to brand and design the publication, and pay the editorial team. Liv and Charlotte hope to gain financial support through a New Zealand-publisher too. 

WHY MENTAL? Placing mental health front and centre, Liv and Charlotte want to create a space for New Zealanders to voice their experiences of the realities of mental health issues. MENTAL will emphasise the importance of supporting individuals, friends, wh?nau and communities who have experienced, or know someone experiencing mental illness.

The purpose of the publication and its content is to encourage a dialogue with the general public, and perhaps leave them with some understanding of what it means to experience mental illness. The stories are inclusive of everyone, and are representative of all ages, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and life experiences.

We need you and your help to make MENTAL come to life. Thank you for your support!!