Greg McQueen and his team have responded to the devastating flooding in Queensland, Australia by doing what they do best - launching an appeal for upbeat stories for 100 Stories for Queensland.
From their website:
100 Stories for Queensland is headed by Brisbane resident and co-owner of eMergent Publishing, Jodi Cleghorn, and UK author, Trevor Belshaw. The management team is made up of Maureen Vincent-Northam, David W Robinson and Nick Daws who all worked on the Haiti and Pakistan anthologies with McQueen. They are assisted by a growing band of 20 volunteer readers and editors from across the globe. McQueen is working behind the scenes, organising the audio book and podcasts in conjunction with UK author and podcaster Em Newman.
100% of the profit from the sale of the anthology will be donated to the Queensland Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal.
Check out the website to find out more about the submissions process. Please follow their guidelines and submissions manager rather than emailing them your story.
Queensland is particularly dear to my heart as I spent around five months there back in 2002 doing conservation work with Conservation Volunteers Australia. I lived out in the bush in a tent during the week and spent my days clearing invasive species from the rainforest, planting trees, mulching and making paths for wheelchair users to access the parks. I fell in love with the stunning scenery and was even filmed by the Australian version of The Really Wild Show teaching children how to plant trees.
If you happened to be watching on Christmas Eve, 2002, that was me in the bright blue CVA t-shirt, looking a bit embarrassed.
I have so many happy, wonderful memories of my time in Australia, especially in Queensland. My thoughts are with all the friends I met there.
I am in the middle of writing a tale set in a cinema to submit to 100 Stories for Queensland. I love being made to write upbeat stories as it doesn't come naturally. I still remember the rush of feeling I had as I wrote the ending to my 50 Stories for Pakistan tale, Lines, and it was so vastly better than any dreary conclusion I would have brought if I hadn't been prompted to finish it on a high note.
You have until midnight (Aussie time) Friday 28th January to submit a story of between 500 and 1000 words. Do it! Do it now!
