The online friendship which helped an Afghan refugee's journey to New Zealand

Hussain Shah Rezaie had been stuck in an Indonesian detention centre for nine years when he decided he wanted to become a writer, in English. The young Afghan refugee's search for online resources eventually led him to Helen Sword, an Auckland academic who also ran an online writing community. "Writing has worked yet as a rescuer to the daunting difficulty of my life as a refugee," Hussain wrote to Helen in his introductory email. She invited him to join the writing group and later supported his relocation to Auckland.