Hello,
I never thought I would be asking for anything like this for myself, particularly when the world is in such a terrible, scary state. So please forgive me.
My name is Rachel Thornton (née Rachel Caldecott). I am a writer and screenwriter originally from South London but now living in a quiet, decidedly un-glamorous corner of southern France. Forget the glitz of Provence, it hasn’t reached here yet.
With my kids grown and my glassblower husband retired, I finally have the time to chase my own dreams. Ten years ago, I began helping refugees. Sadly, I wasn’t well enough to volunteer in the camps myself, but I discovered that writing articles for magazines about my experiences of collecting and delivering donations inspired others to get involved.
Our living room.
Bonding with an Eritrean girl over crutches
Bitten by the writing bug, I simply carried on writing. Some of you may know me from my memoir entitled Blown Out of Proportion – Misadventures of a Glassblower in France; others may have come across my YA novel, The Panopticon Experiment.
Unfortunately, retired self-employed glassblowers do not have generous pensions, and life can be a struggle. To supplement our income, I make jewellery and hand-paint boxes to sell on a street market.
However, my passion remains writing, especially stories that explore human and animal rights and our relationship with the natural world. I want to write stories that do more than entertain. Don’t Look Up (2021), or Leave the World Behind (2023), for example, showed me how a serious subject, like climate change, can be approached with wit and originality. Of course, like that, I want my stories to be interesting, exciting and fun, and to be about issues that matter; to provoke thought and inspire change.
When my novel, The Panopticon Experiment, was first published, the reception was wonderful, and I was thrilled. Then, due to a mysterious ‘blunder’ within Amazon, it was removed from sale for over 18 months. By the time it was reinstated, it had completely lost momentum. I was devastated, but refused to give up.
Encouraged by a former actress and producer, I adapted it into a screenplay. It took me a couple of years of study and hard work (peppered with frequent moments of self-doubt) to achieve it. Eventually, the Panopticon (script) reached the finals of several screenwriting competitions. Feedback from judges was unanimously positive and encouraging, although I know in my heart it could be better.
ROCABERTI
Earlier this year, I heard about the Rocaberti Writers Retreat, and as soon as I saw that they sometimes give out scholarships, I applied. The retreat brings together a small group of just 16 writers from around the world for an intensive week of mentoring with leading film and literary industry professionals. For someone like me, without money or fancy connections, it is a dream opportunity.
To my utter amazement, I was awarded a partial scholarship, and have barely slept since (due to excitement, terror, and frustration).
Now, here’s the tricky bit, the part of this letter I’ve dreaded writing. I suppose there is nothing to do but blurt it out. If you are reading this on the GoFundMe website, you will already know what is going to come next. If you are hearing about this in an email or on Facebook, hold onto your hats.
The scholarship is only partial. It is 2,500€ toward the overall cost of 6,495€. To attend, I’d have to raise the balance of 3,995€, myself. As there is no legal or ethical way I could come up with that sort of money, I’m here to ask for help.
If I pay the full amount up front, there is a 5% discount, reducing it to 3,795€. Paying in instalments would cost slightly more (4,194.75€). When paying in instalments, I must first pay a holding deposit of 1,399€, followed by two more instalments of the same amount, 4 weeks apart.
There’s simply no way I can afford to do this on my own. So, with some trepidation, I’m asking for help. If you’ve enjoyed my writing, or you’ve known me in person and know my story, or if you simply want to help a stranger realise a dream, please consider supporting my GoFundMe.
Every euro counts, and any contribution, no matter how small, would mean the world to me. This isn’t just about attending a retreat; it’s about finally giving my work the chance it deserves. I have several works in progress: an eco-thriller script, a sci-fi/coming-of-age script, and a historical novel. The lessons I learn on this retreat will be applied to developing each of them in turn. But The Panopticon is my first love, and I truly believe it could become something special, and this is the step that could make that possible.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.
With gratitude,
Rachel Thornton
PS:
Rather than sitting at home hoping that Hollywood will discover me, I have been submitting to various competitions. One of the most prestigious and respected is the Page Awards. Here are extracts from the feedback I received when I first entered in 2025. I apologise for the long read.
EXTRACTS FROM - The 2025 PAGE Awards Script Services
Judge’s Feedback
Title: THE PANOPTICON
Script: #25-104JF
What is the writer trying to achieve in this script?
When her telepathic bond mate is abducted by a human supremacist cult, a grieving girl infiltrates their brutal indoctrination camp to rescue him and expose a conspiracy to erase empathy from the species.
In what ways is the writer successful at achieving his/her goals?
One of the strongest aspects of your script is the emotional foundation you’ve created through the bond between Flo, Seb, and Lonce. Their shared telepathic connection is more than just a sci-fi conceit—it’s the heart of your story, and you introduce it in a way that feels intimate and believable.
The scene where young Flo and Seb both "hear" Lonce’s name is a beautiful, quiet moment that signals the depth of their connection without overexplaining. That early moment lays the groundwork for the emotional stakes to come, and it gives us a reason to stay invested as the world around them becomes darker and more complex.
You’ve also built a world that’s both richly detailed and thematically layered. The Human Supremacy League, the Panopticon, the dream-linked REM sequences, and the symbolic paw/hand resistance standard all contribute to a story that feels bigger than just one person’s journey.
You’re not just telling a dystopian rescue story; you’re exploring ideas about interconnection, inherited trauma, scientific overreach, and moral resistance.
When these elements are working together, the result is a story that feels both mythic and politically resonant. The final act delivers a satisfying payoff to these ideas with the uprising, the mass liberation of captive animals, and the ultimate failure of the attempt to control empathy.
What’s also really promising is the voice that’s coming through in the writing. There’s a poetic, almost fable-like quality to the tone that helps your story stand out from more conventional YA or dystopian sci-fi.
You’re not afraid to be lyrical or emotionally raw, and those instincts give your story personality and weight. Even with some structural and tonal inconsistencies in the
current draft, your intent (to create something soulful, strange, and emotionally charged) shines through.
You’re aiming for a story that moves people, not just entertains them, and that ambition is already evident in the relationships, world, and themes you’ve brought to life. With further refinement, those qualities could become what truly sets this project apart.
CONCLUSION
This project has a timely and emotionally resonant core that could appeal to audiences drawn to allegorical sci-fi with heart. The concept of a telepathic bond between humans and animals, paired with themes of resistance, inherited trauma, and empathy under siege, positions your story alongside titles like HIS DARK MATERIALS, OKJA, or THE OA.
The visual and symbolic richness (especially the Panopticon uprising) offers strong cinematic potential.
That said, the project’s commercial viability depends on clarifying its intended audience. Some elements feel idealistic and character-focused in a way that suits older YA, while the darker content (vivisection, lobotomy, self-immolation) leans into adult territory.
This tonal ambiguity may make it harder to pitch until the project commits more clearly to one end of that spectrum.
With a refined structure, visual storytelling, and audience alignment, this could attract interest from producers looking for grounded, emotionally intelligent genre material with thematic relevance.
You’ve crafted a story with an emotionally resonant core, rich thematic depth, and a vivid world that’s both mythic and politically relevant. Flo’s bond with Lonce and Seb is a unique and moving anchor, and your thematic ambition (to explore empathy as a force of resistance) is both timely and powerful.
The climax delivers real payoff, and your use of dream imagery, symbolic structures, and moral stakes gives the project a poetic edge that distinguishes it from more conventional genre pieces.
My company is always looking for writers who showcase their ability to create powerful stories for the screen that are deeply rooted in character development. A highly skilled use of story structure to push that development is also something we value greatly.
What’s most exciting here is the clear sense of voice and intent. You’re reaching for something meaningful, and the building blocks are already in place.
The work ahead is about focus and refinement—tightening structure, clarifying the audience, and translating the novelistic elements into a more visual and emotionally immediate cinematic language.
Organizer
