We had a great roll-up on 23 November 2024 in a community hall to the launch of Offcuts 3: More Stories and Sketches from the Shed, the third collection of life stories from the Oxley Men’s Shed Writers Group.

Brisbane City Councillor Nicole Johnston did the launch honours in style. As Convenor of the Group, I had the privilege of editing and contributing to the collection.

Like its two predecessors, Offcuts 3 was published by Armour Books, a small local indie publisher, whose principal has been strongly behind the men publishing their stories.

The Writers Group is in itself an example of the creativity and camaraderie the Shed fosters. We meet fortnightly to share stories and poems from our lives – work experiences, holidays and travels, adventures, family moments, humorous and sometimes dramatic happenings. These are stories that mostly remind us of where we’ve been on life’s journey and of who we are and what we’ve achieved.

Offcuts 3 also benefits from contributions by the Shed’s talented Art Group, whose black-and-white drawings and paintings further bring the stories to life. All together there are 28 stories, with contributions from 11 writers and 6 artists.

The stories and poems are set in almost every Australian state and territory, and internationally in Tonga, Vietnam, New Zealand, Nepal and Iran. All creatively illustrated, they cover a range of topics that show the diversity of backgrounds of the Oxley Men’s Shed writers.

You’ll be fascinated, amused and amazed in turn by tales of shipping disasters, bureaucratic bungles, tricky family relationships and remarkable holidays (including one that wasn’t), not to mention a close call on a slippery roof, a wild cow hunt, a triple-O call, a loaded gun, battling prickly pear, a tender love story and … just read Offcuts 3 for yourself! You won’t be disappointed.

Offcuts 3 is available from numerous online bookstores, including Booktopia and The Nile.

Until next time

Darryl Dymock