Help me get to France to write!

Fundraising campaign by Jen Thorpe
  • US$1,015.00
    raised of $2,200.00 goal goal
46% Funded
17 Donors
Raised offline: $1,633.00
Total: $2,648.00

No more donations are being accepted at this time. Please contact the campaign owner if you would like to discuss further funding opportunities

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Donate to help me get to France!

I have always wanted to be a writer.

I could share pictures with you of my school reports that say things like 'Jenny is very creative (read, a little strange) and writes very well' but nobody needs to see those nerdy things. I remember learning to read with my mum at around four years old and thinking - wow, when someone writes a book they allow you to go into a new world at any time you want to, all by yourself! How cool is that! It's like time travel, but for free.

In junior school my best friend Roxane and I used to have reading sleep-over parties where we'd read Sweet Valley, and some way more serious books I promise, and enjoy the pleasure of each other's company. At high school I discovered great women writers and was amazed at their fearless and important stories.

In 2012 I left my job and decided to take myself seriously as a writer. I used all my savings, moved back to Cape Town, and I started a Masters in Creative Writing at UCT. Two years later I had my first draft of my first novel. Two years after that, it came out in print with Penguin SA. Ta da! The Peculiars (p.s get it here).

It got great reviews and I was (and still am) so proud to have finished it and put it out into the world.

Then I went back to work, thinking that I could keep writing in the evenings and mornings (when I was energetic enough). I did, but it was really hard. After a tough year in 2016 I spent the December holidays doing some thinking about the life I want to live. There are so many quotes about being a writer, but the one that resonates with me most strongly is from Gloria Steinem, who says:

Writing is the only thing I do that when I do it, I don't feel I should be doing something else.

I mean, look how happy I look. -->

So, at the end of last year I started applying like a maniac for writers residencies, retreats, jobs, competitions and all sorts of activities.

And with some luck and some incredible support from other writers, I put in an application to the Camac Art Centre and I got in! I'll be going to France for June and July 2017 to write my third novel. Think crazy politicians, magical creatures, radical activists, and more.

It's a dream come true, but it's ... well ... an expensive dream. That's where you come in! I've paid the 520 Euro deposit, and I need your help with the rest of the fees.

Please note: You don't need a PayPal account to make payment to this cause. You just click through to make a donation, and you'll see that once you've entered your amount, you press the PayPal button which says "When at PayPal, login to your existing PayPal account or click the option to pay by debit/credit card." You can then proceed to enter your credit card details.


Rewards

You'll get a thank you shout out from me on social media - you specify - Twitter or Facebook

1 Backers

You'll get a mention in the acknowledgements section of the book

3 Backers

You'll get a mention in the book as a character, and a thank you in the acknowledgements section of the book

2 Backers

You'll get to be the explorer who discovered a magical creature, your surname in the book, and a personalised drawing of your magical creature from me all the way from France!

6 Backers

Organizer

Donors

  • Paul Jorgensen
  • Donated on Mar 31, 2017
  • Amazing stuff Jen! Looking forward to what comes!

$50.00
  • Victoria Gowans
  • Donated on Feb 19, 2017
  • Jen, what a woman you have grown up to be...the world is your oyster Xxxx

$70.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Feb 17, 2017
  • Hi! I read your article that you wrote on my friend, founder of GESSL, and looked more into your work and passion and dreams. You are inspiring! I always love someone who follows their heart when the mind tells them otherwise- and it reminds me to keep going when it can feel rough to be a poor dreamer. Good luck with everything!

$35.00
Feb 06

Wow! I'm so grateful

Update posted by Jen Thorpe at 05:40 am

I can't believe that after such a short time I'm already more than a third of the way to my funding goal. Thank you to everyone for your generosity and kindness!

See update
1

Donors & Comments

17 donors
  • Paul Jorgensen
  • Donated on Mar 31, 2017
  • Amazing stuff Jen! Looking forward to what comes!

$50.00
  • Victoria Gowans
  • Donated on Feb 19, 2017
  • Jen, what a woman you have grown up to be...the world is your oyster Xxxx

$70.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Feb 17, 2017
  • Hi! I read your article that you wrote on my friend, founder of GESSL, and looked more into your work and passion and dreams. You are inspiring! I always love someone who follows their heart when the mind tells them otherwise- and it reminds me to keep going when it can feel rough to be a poor dreamer. Good luck with everything!

$35.00
  • Howard Butler
  • Donated on Feb 06, 2017
$100.00
  • Colleen Haynes
  • Donated on Feb 06, 2017
  • You go girl !!!! 😂😘❤️

$50.00
  • Guest
  • Donated on Feb 01, 2017
  • So proud of you Jen . Good luck

$100.00
  • Maloba Tshehla
  • Donated on Jan 29, 2017
$15.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Jan 29, 2017
Amount Hidden
  • Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah
  • Donated on Jan 25, 2017
  • Proud of you getting this residency Jen. Wishing you all the best with the book

$50.00
Show more donors

Followers

7 followers
Victoria Gowans
Kimberly Wolf
Stuart Fairlie
Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah
Tasneem Matthews
Alex Radulovich
shaun herbert
US$1,015.00
raised of $2,200.00 goal
46% Funded
17 Donors
Raised offline: $1,633.00
Total: $2,648.00

No more donations are being accepted at this time. Please contact the campaign owner if you would like to discuss further funding opportunities