Stories That Make a Difference
Watch the Dislocation charity anthology launch, buy the book, and vote for our 2027 charity anthology beneficiary
Hi Story Lovers,
We had the launch party for the Dislocation anthology on Zoom last night and it was a great event. You can catch up with the replay here if you were unable to join us. We had wonderful readings from six of the authors and so far we have raised £324 for St Mungo’s, the UK charity working to help people experiencing homelessness.
Huge thanks to the authors who read their stories:
Martha Lane — Dislocation
Madeleine Armstrong — The Island
Nina Barufaldi — The Man Who Drowns Twice a Day
Rachel Rivett — Star Gazing
Erin Bondo — The End of Spring
Geraldine Terry — The Good Shepherd
And to all of the authors in the book who donated their work to support this cause. Additional thanks to Donna Brown who donated her time to create the interior paperback and ebook files for me; to Lucy - Business of Becoming who gave invaluable feedback on the cover; and Martha Lane who as well as donating a story and reading it out, helped me with sending out the anthologies to the contributors (and helps with a million other things all the time too!).
If you would like to buy a copy to read great stories and support St. Mungo’s (and we really hope you will!) please buy direct using the QR code or button below — it means far more money reaches the charity, since we're not paying 55% of the cover price to retailers. The direct orders are available for shipping in the UK and US only.
If you want to buy from a bookstore then it is available in Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Amazon, and can be ordered in by independent stores.
Vote for the 2027 Anthology Charity
We are aiming to publish one charity anthology a year featuring flash fiction stories up to 1000 words on the theme, which will be linked to the charity we support. Vote now for the charity you’d like us to raise funds for with the next anthology. Submissions will open in July and close in September. The next anthology will publish in spring 2027.
The charities you can choose from are:
Based in Lancashire, UK, Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary cares for those who have no one. Finding new homes for over 1,300 animals a year, they look after dogs, cats, and small animals awaiting adoption, as well as almost 40 equine residents in their stables and a variety of farm animals who will spend the rest of their lives in the sanctuary's permanent care. A charity for anyone who believes every creature deserves safety and love.
Mary's Meals is a charity founded in Scotland, UK, that provides life-changing school meals to children living in some of the world's poorest communities. The promise of a good meal brings hungry children into the classroom, where they can gain an education and better opportunities for the future. They are serving meals to more than three million children every school day in 16 different countries.
Refugee Action has spent over 35 years helping refugees build safe, hopeful and productive new lives in the UK. They help those with refugee status settle into their new homes and communities — everything from helping children into schools, to supporting people in booking doctors' appointments, and ensuring they get a hot meal when they arrive. Beyond direct support, they are also working to end the hostile environment faced by people seeking safety through campaigning and advocacy.
Please cast your votes below — voting is open for 1 week
Get writing with me
Stories like these remind us why writing matters — and if you feel called to put pen to page, here's where to find me. I have lots of workshops and courses coming up over at The Mindful Writer, where I now do the majority of my teaching. You never know, you might start a story for the next anthology!
Short Story Club A six-month exploration of the short story form — reading widely, writing boldly and discovering what this extraordinary form can hold. Starts 1st June 2026. Join the club.
Writing the Bardo Six months of writing, mindfulness and Yoga Nidra to help you uncover the stories in your heart and bones. Application deadline 8th June 2026. Find out more.
Zoom Workshops Drop-in sessions where we write together, explore craft and find our way deeper into the page. One weekend every month and included with my paid subscriptions at The Mindful Writer or just book and come along. See what’s coming up. I also teach one a month for WestWord. Info here.
Journalling Courses Self-paced PDF courses using the transformative power of reflective writing to help you release limiting beliefs, cultivate self-compassion and find peace and meaning as you age. Download and work at your own pace, in your own time. Browse the courses.
Please help us spread the word of the anthology and share news of it with your friends, family and on your socials. The work St. Mungo’s do is vital to help the ever-growing number of people in the UK who have housing issues or no home at all.
Figures released by UK housing charity, Shelter, in December 2025, show that 1 in every 153 people in England are homeless. This doesn’t mean they are all sleeping rough but that this many people are in temporary accommodation such as hostels, and many of them are sleeping on the streets.
In my hometown of Reading, UK, a shanty town of tents has sprung up down by the river — hundreds of people with nowhere else to go, and yet finding ways to look out for one another. Even in the hardest places and times, humans come together doing what they can to bring love and light.
In a world where there is so much wealth and excess, this imbalance has to stop and I am proud to be publishing this anthology to support the work to change it.
With love,
Amanda 💙
P.S. A strange thing: in my dystopian novel, Remember Tomorrow, which I wrote in 2016 and was published in 2019, a shanty town is in exactly the same spot by the river in Reading. It didn't exist in the real world then. It does now.