Help Jan reach her college dream

It’s never too late, the saying goes, and that’s also my motto.

At the age of 70, I’m thrilled to have been offered a place on the prestigious MA in Creative Writing at Queen’s University, Belfast, starting in September 2024.

When I retired at 67 I finally had time to pursue my dream of fiction writing. In 2022 I was excited to be awarded a bursary to the John Hewitt Summer School in Armagh where, in a workshop, I developed a short story that was published last year. I’ve also written two, as yet unpublished novels.

I hope the MA programme will help me hone my writing skills and become a published novelist. I would also love to teach Creative Writing, which the MA would allow me to do, passing on my knowledge and helping other aspiring writers of all ages.

In setting out on this venture, I’m also proudly following in the footsteps of my late mum, who had to leave school at 14 but graduated from the Open University at the age of 83 with a BA in Humanities. She was and continues to be my inspiration to never give up on your dreams. It really is never too late! After all, a great many writers, such as Mary Wesley (The Camomile Lawn) have made late starts to their writing careers!

There are many schemes and scholarships to help young emerging artists and writers, quite rightly, but few who support those of mature years, like myself and so I’m looking for help to pay tuition fees for my course, which I am doing over two years.

I would be very grateful for any contribution to my first year target of £3,600 and as an added incentive I will select one person at random to have a character in my next novel or short story named after them!

Thanks for reading my post.