The Echo loves your letters and is proud to provide a community forum on the issues that matter most to our readers and the people of the NSW north coast. So don’t be a passive reader, send us your epistles.

This year’s festival celebrates some of the most vital and impactful storytelling in Australian literature, with a dedicated program of First Nations writers whose work spans historical fiction, picture books and Indigenous knowledge and whose voices are reshaping how this country understands itself.

In February this year, Eve Sinton was admitted to Tamworth Hospital. All tests and biopsies were taken. Before announcing the diagnosis to Eve, the doctor asked ‘First Please tell me what was your occupation?’ Eve replied, ‘I am a journalist’.

Older women are disproportionately affected by the housing crisis and financial insecurity. They are the fastest-growing group of people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.

Locals are rallying behind beloved Byron local Krystal Pillwein after she was diagnosed with stage 2 inoperable cervical cancer, launching a fundraising campaign to help ease the financial burden of her treatment.

Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin is encouraging local councils and rugby union clubs to take advantage of an opportunity to upgrade their facilities, player pathways and increase local participation.