Letters of Love

'I believe the power of love and creation will always triumph over the power of destruction and revenge.' - Walter Mikac, from whose profound grief arose brilliant legacies of tight gun ownership in Australia and the Alannah and Madeline foundation, which has helped protect 1.5 million childen from violence.

The Port Arthur massacre was one of the darkest days in Australian history. But the response, an unprecedented outpouring of love and compassion, also brought out the best in Australians. One year after that tragedy, Walter Mikac launched the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, in honour of his two young daughters who died alongside their mother on that terrible day. Since then, the Foundation has helped tens of thousands of vulnerable youth feel safe and secure from violence.

The book begins with a letter 6-year-old Alannah wrote to Walter weeks before the tragedy, and ends with a letter Walter has written to his daughter from a new relationship. It's a beautiful book that harnesses the best in all of us, and is once more testament to the power of the human spirit.

Contributors include:

- Rex Hunt

- Steve Vizard

- Neil Mitchell

- Ron Barassi

- Bob Brown

- Melissa Doyle

- Layne Beachley

- Gina Liano

- Chrissy Swan

- Michael Kirby

- Danni Minogue

- Jimmy Barnes

- Cadel Evans

- Andrew O'Keefe

- Cameron Daddo

- Steve Bradbury