What Happened
This event has been cancelled due to weather forecast and low registration numbers.
Why It Didn't Work
I didn't use my personal network. That's the honest answer. I have people who would have come, who would have brought people, and I didn't ask them directly. I treated my network as a last resort when it should have been the first move. That's self-sabotage dressed up as strategy.
I built infrastructure; the brand, the site, the event pages, but didn't show my face enough to build trust before launch. No founder-led content. No "from the house" Reels explaining what this actually is. People convert when they trust the person holding the thing, and I stayed behind the infrastructure instead of in front of it.
And maybe the concept itself was unclear. "Literary exchange" could mean anything. I should have spelled out exactly what happens in 90 minutes instead of assuming people would fill in the gaps.
Running three events in two weeks was ambitious for someone juggling a full-time job and trying to remember how to hold community space. I spread myself thin when I should have focused on making one gathering undeniable.
What We're Learning
I'm learning that juggling a full-time job while trying to build community is harder than I anticipated. Social media isn't my natural medium, and after being out of active community practice for a while, the work of holding and hosting space feels different this time — heavier, more uncertain.
These are the gaps between intention and execution. The space where theory meets ground.
What's Still True
"Stories can conquer fear, you know. They can make the heart bigger."
— Ben Okri
The other two gatherings — 23 May in Balgowlah and 30 May in Petersham — are still happening. Come if you can. Bring words worth circulating.