This week’s blog is another guest post, this time by novelist and writing tutor Margaret Graham, on the charity Words for the Wounded 

Words for the Wounded seemed like a good idea at the time. Why not start a charity that raises money via writing competitions and donations for the rehabilitation of wounded troops? I’d done it before when I set up the Yeovil Literary Prize to raise funds for the arts in Somerset when the council withdrew funding.

So, I approached a couple of writing friends, Penny Deacon and Tracy Baines and an extreme sportsman, Matt Pain, who happens to be my son. They came on board.

Fairly tedious forms then had to be filled in and a specific charity bank account opened and then we started worrying about how to fund the prizes. Matt did the Lanzarotte Ironman and raised enough and Julian and Emma Fellowes agreed to be our first patrons. Dick Graham did a wonderful website out of the goodness of his heart, and we were off!

Soon we had a long list of patrons. Writers Forum agreed to publish the winners. RAF News showed interest and will also publish the winners. Hours and hours have been spent emailing endless writing groups, ex-pat magazines and Uncle Tom Continue reading →