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.

The hire van stuffed with donations outside our house.

Unloading at Caritas in Ventimiglia

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, 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.

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.

https://rocabertiwriters.com/

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