This was an online raffle to raise funds for families affected by bombing in Gaza, and an organisation working for Social Justice.

Four hundred thousand displaced people are still currently trapped in northern Gaza - facing constant assault and starvation, without daily necessities. With so much horrific violence and injustice happening in the world right now, any action can seem inconsequential - but it's still important to keep doing all the things we can. A fabulous selection of fellow poets and artists offered to gift a selection of prizes - including bespoke poems, art prints, mentoring sessions, & book bundles, and a generous community of supporters bought raffle tickets for their chance to win one of these prizes. 

Winners have now been drawn at random and allocated to prizes based on their first, second and third choices. We have contacted the winners to let them know. 

Thank you from the bottom of our souls for your contribution towards our raffle fundraiser.

Our target was to raise at least £1,000; the rough total of all the artist's contributions; we have exceeded our goal thanks to every person who has donated a prize, bought a raffle ticket, or given money to the event. 

Between us, we have raised a lush £1,513.50. After stripe fees, the total we can gift to our causes is £1,475.67. 

As described in more detail at the end of this page, the much-needed funds are being distributed between 2 families. Ruaa and Hamna will both receive £590.27; with £295.13 going towards Standing Together (a progressive movement engaging Israeli and Palestinian citizens in social justice, creating change through municipal politics, mobilising protests, and delivering aid).

You have already been so generous, but if you would like to follow or contribute again in-future to the fundraising efforts of Ruaa or Hamna you can do so on some pages they've made, here: https://gofund.me/08cbb4bf, and https://gofund.me/0a264fab

Or for Standing Together's current aid campaign: https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/aidtogaza?fbclid=IwY2xjawG3ByhleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVT0O8aEMlGMqCgf0A1NbL8wuj5uMP3ruSfyUT1Jk18Vv4G51lvaTDRRgQ_aem_00BKwXBUvknBpa9qkygs4g

Thank you again for being part of this fundraising effort. 

All our love & gratitude

Rozi & Beth

Prize Menu:

COMMISSIONS

A bespoke poem written to the brief given by the raffle winner

Nikita Gill

A commissioned typewritten A4 poem (worth £150)

Beth Calverley

A unique, typewritten story and a novel (worth £30)

Found Out There / Adam Holton

A bespoke poem, for you or a loved one or in celebration of a particular event  (worth £100)

Harula Ladd

MENTORING

A 1-hour performance coaching session from the Birmingham poet laureate. Bring a poem, have it workshopped, plus some general performance tips, and/or consultation on how to write performance into your next poem 

Jasmine Gardosi 

A 1 hr creative mentoring session, online via zoom; to help with any sticking-points or challenges in your self-expression or Artistic-practice  (worth £65) 

Rozi Hilton / Beryl the Feral 

A 60 minute 1-1 Zoom mentoring session for writers (worth £165)

WriteClub/Alison Powell

An hour’s worth of editing and feedback sessions with Fawn Press Editor In Chief Scarlett Ward. This time can be spent doing a deeper dive into a single poem, or spread out across a number of poems. Meeting over Google meets video to discuss your poetry and to receive friendly advice and feedback

Fawn Press

Editing + mentoring, including an initial session to orientate with your vision and intentions, and another following the editing process; for ONE of the following options: 1. Three pages of poetry (up to around 200 lines) or, 2. Two thousand words of text (e.g. fiction, nature-writing) or, 3. Playscript, up to 12 pages (roughly equivalent 1 hr. performance)].  (worth £70)

 Lucy Lepchani 

BOOKS

One set of first edition signed copies of books by Salena Godden: includes award-winning novel 'Mrs Death Misses Death’ the highly-acclaimed literary childhood memoir 'Springfield Road' and new poetry collection 'With Love Grief and Fury’ (This bundle will arrive with one extra item, not pictured, which will be a surprise for the winner only!)

Salena Godden

A bundle of four  poetry books (signed and inscribed) + the latest issue of Clarion  (worth £53)

Tom Hirons 

Books or vinyls tbc

MCDizreali

Cane, Corn & Gully (her debut poetry collection, written to honour the women who came before her & fought for their rights) (worth £11.99)

Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa

2x A set of two books; ‘Bible ii’ & 'Nation's saddest love poems' (worth £19)

Sam J Grudgings

2 poetry books; ‘The Human Emergency’ and ‘Show Me Life’ (worth £20)

Liv Torc

Three books which make up the 'Poetry of Life' series. With 35 poems per book. (worth £15)

P G Holroyd

ART

3 limited edition prints, signed and numbered, taken from original oil paintings - (worth £90)

Clare Ferguson-Walker 

WHERE THE FUNDS WILL GO

Ruaa (40%) is 25, and displaced with her husband and 2 year old son Muhammad; as well as her mother and 3 sisters. An educated family, who lost the home that they built together as well as each temporary shelter that they created and all essentials, around 10 times. They are aiming to escape to Egypt if they can survive, but more immediately she would like to buy Winter clothes for her son, and nylon to prevent leaks in her shelter.

Hamna (40%) is a graduate, with an 8 year old daughter who was shot by a drone and had the bullet removed from her knee without anaesthesia. She’s in a makeshift tent, and barely surviving - yet she is bright, fierce, & determined. 

They would use the funds to apply for their visas, and move to Qatar; if fleeing from the current conditions is an option - yet 4 tomatoes currently cost £50 in Northern Gaza, and they have no money left. Hamna is also sharing and helping everyone around her, when any funds get through.

Standing Together (20%) Standing Together is a source of hope, working to change a political reality based on war and occupation. A progressive grassroots movement mobilizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel for peace, equality, and social justice; rooted in inclusivity and pluralism and committed to building the political strength to make this transformation possible. 

Standing together hold events and actions that bring Jews and Palestinians together, to build hope, share condolences and grieve together; as well as  creating spaces where Jewish and Palestinian activists can host events, work together, and build local networks and communities. They believe "Full equality for everyone in the land, and true social, economic, and environmental justice — is possible. To achieve this future, we must stand together as a united front: Jewish and Palestinian, secular and religious, Mizrahi and Ashkenazi, rural and urban, and people of all genders and sexual orientations”.

MORE ABOUT OUR ARTIST CONTRIBUTORS:

Adam Holton is a public typist. I improvise stories for people on a typewriter. Each story is inspired by the three random words and a name I am given to play with. All words are welcome. I'm supporting this raffle because solidarity comes in many forms

Alison Powell offers 1-1 mentoring that draws on her experiences as a writer, a workshop leader and an NLP Master Practitioner. She helps people overcome creative blocks, find space for their writing and also offers constructive feedback on their work in progress. Author Jay Giebus describes her as "a reader who sees your story before you do, an editor with an ear for the rhythm of prose."

Beth Calverley is a poet and founder of The Poetry Machine. I create poems with people, live in the moment, on my typewriter in collaboration with all kinds of places, from hospitals to festivals, universities, schools, workplaces, heritage places, outdoor spaces, conferences and community events across the UK. In my work, I often write and perform on the themes of connection, loneliness, and the weird and wonderful ways that humans try to express ourselves to others. I am supporting this fundraiser because I feel deeply distressed by the daily acts of inhuman violence and crimes being carried out against people in Gaza and across Palestine and want to do something to help, however small.

Clare Ferguson-Walker is a singer, poet and comedienne, as well as a renowned sculptor and painter whose work is represented by galleries around the world. A regular contributor to the Royal Academy open shows, Sir Peter Blake describes her work as “Powerful and Exciting”.

Dizraeli is a multi-instrumentalist MC, singer, producer from Bristol, UK, distributing explosions that journalists find hard to describe.

Fawn Press is an award-winning independent publisher of poetry based in the midlands. We have chosen to support this raffle because we stand with Palestine, and condemn the horrific genocide that is taking place before our eyes.

Harula Ladd  loves the way creativity connects, melts, energises and inspires people. I believe the arts are a powerful medium for reminding us of our shared humanity. My writing and facilitating practice reflects this, through workshops, on the spot poem writing, open mic hosting, retreats and commissions. I’m thrilled to support this raffle because it’s creating something beautiful and generous in response to a suffering I can do so little about, but I can do this.

Jasmine Gardosi is the Birmingham Poet Laureate and Honorary Doctor of Letters. They are a multiple slam champion, beatboxer, winner of the Out-Spoken Prize for Poetry and winner of the Saboteur Award for Best Spoken Word Performer 2023. Jasmine is passionate about championing performance in poetry, and infusing performance elements into the writing of a piece. Jas loves this raffle's art-centred approach to supporting people affected in Gaza. The hope is that the more vocal we as artists can be, the better - and so, a performance workshop seems like just the thing.

Liv Torc is a Radio 4 Slam winner, a former Bard of Exeter, host of The Rainbow Fish Speakeasy and The Hip Yak Poetry Shack, Liv runs the poetry stage at WOMAD, the COP26 project Hot Poets, Banana Poems and the lockdown haiku and photography project Haiflu

Lucy Lepchani is a poet, writer and editor, with 2 prior poetry collections, currently writing fiction. I research and edit freelance and for Crafty Little Press (craft books), teach in Adult Education and mentor other writers and creatives. I'm supporting this raffle because every voice, every coin, every breath in support of Palestinian self-determination and rights under International Law, is our duty as fellow human beings.

Nikita Gill, poet. I write for children and given the devastating destruction of what is happening to children in Gaza, I feel it’s both a moral duty and my responsibility as a children’s author to support this raffle. Everything and anything to help.

Paul (P G Holroyd) is a poet with a passion and has self published several books on Amazon/Kindle. The 'Poetry of Life' series and also 'GreenBeard's Vegan Verse'. Gaza is such a worthy, heartbreaking cause.

Rozi Hilton is a poet, performer and creative mentor; running courses classes and workshops for people who want to become more visible in their authentic self. In a creative mentoring session we might use movement or imagination to explore the true longings behind your work and what holds you back... I'm offering my time and organising the raffle because I feel such an urgency for activism and I'm doing everything I can to make a difference with the capacity can currently afford.

Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa, author of 'Cane, Corn & Gully', cares deeply for those suffering due to the unjust & horrific actions of disgraceful world leaders. She is a choreopoet, who unites dance & poetry on the page & the stage. 'Cane, Corn & Gully' was shortlisted for the Forward Prize and the Rathbones Folio Prize.

Sam J Grudgings is a queer poet from Bristol shortlisted for the Outspoken Poetry Prize 2020. A poet perpetually on the edge of collapse, he is renowned for his frenetic delivery & whirlwind stage presence. His work combines visceral metaphors with frank gutter honesty & dark gallows humour.

Salena Godden FRSL is an award-winning novelist, poet and broadcaster of Jamaican and Irish mixed heritage. Her debut novel Mrs Death Misses Death won the Indie Book Awards for Fiction and the People’s Book Prize, and was shortlisted for the British Book Awards and the Gordon Burn Prize. Her literary childhood memoir Springfield Road - and a new full poetry collection With Love, Grief and Fury were published with Canongate. Rough Trade Books published a hardback edition of Pessimism is for Lightweights - 30 pieces of courage and resistance in 2023.   She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and Honorary Fellow of West Dean, Sussex.

Tom Hirons is a poet and creative mentor based in Devon - he's also editor of Clarion quarterly poetry magazine. He's a vocal advocate for resistance against genocide and fascism and the desecration of the Earth.