Julie Stevens writes poems about her experiences with life with MS. The money raised through the sales of her poetry books is donated to the MS Trust. Julie says that her MS has certainly given her a lot to write about! We asked Julie if she would share her story.
Lockdown has given me so much spare time and I’ve enjoyed being able to sit down and write poems. My poems normally give an insight into my life with MS. In September 2020, my first pamphlet "Quicksand" was published by Dreich having come second in their chapbook competition. Twenty poems about my life with MS which everyone can relate to. I’ve been told they are inspiring and speak of MS in a way that helps people understand the condition. One lady recently wrote;
Beautiful, moving, inspiring poetry that captures the experience of MS and so much more
In June 2021 my micro pamphlet of poems, a Stickleback called Balancing Act, won a competition with Hedgehog Poetry Press. They have published these four poems in a beautiful pamphlet. It’s about staying on your feet (in my case quite literally!), keeping going and finding the colour. I’ve had great feedback on it.
For those of us who used to run (or even just walk), but now fall and try to keep getting up, it captures…..well, everything.
It dawned on me that this was a great fundraising opportunity, so I have started selling these books and donating the proceeds to the MS Trust. The MS Trust have helped me so much over the last 30 years (and counting) in which I’ve had MS. In particular, the MS nurses I’ve had regular contact and advice from. Their informative leaflets and magazines that have brought understanding. It was time to give back and say thank you. So far I have raised over £300 (as of June 2021) for the MS Trust in such a short time which is brilliant. Such an easy way to raise money. Even better, some people have donated more than the book price knowing it’s for the MS Trust.
If you are interested in reading Julie's poems and books please visit her website. If Julie has inspired you to do your own fundraiser please get in touch or download our fundraising guide!
