St George & Sutherland Shire Leader [21 December 1999]

SUCCESS in writing short stories has encouraged Bundeena mother of four Helen Armstrong to launch a collection of her works in a book.

Butterflies in the Wind was launched at Grace Bros, Miranda, last Saturday.

One, Friends Forever, won the FAW City of Sydney Medal for Short Story of the Year and came third in the Greek Orthodox Community short story competition.

Helen won the Marjorie Barnard Award with Encounter at Arkadi in 1997, while her Driving Crazy won the John O'Brien Poetry and Prose competition (short story section) this year.

"Words can transform our lives, and our perception of events," Helen said. "Just when life seems dull and tedious it can be transformed into something sparkling, refreshing and exciting by looking at it from a different direction."

© 1999 Carolyn Cash