Wiltshire Museum in Devizes urgently needs 30 people to write a 140 word imaginary ‘letter home’ from one of the town’s soldiers who died during the 1914-18 war.
Volunteer writers will be given the name of a soldier commemorated on the town’s war memorial and his background information as documented in Richard Broadhead’s book The Great War: Devizes District Soldiers.
The deadline for letters to be completed is Sunday 21st October and they will be displayed around the around the town for the weekend of Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th October.
“This weekend is the British Legion’s national ‘Thank You’ weekend commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of the war” said Rachael Holtom, who is organizing the Letters Home project. “Wiltshire Museum has recently received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to work with the fantastic people at Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts on a weekend of innovative events marking the centenary.
For this project, we are looking for writers to be inspired by the factual information they are given to create a short note home. This might be about their war experience or the country they are in; it might a sentimental or humorous memory about how their military service contrasts with their old life in Devizes or it might simply be a message of love to those at home.
The turnaround time is very short and we hope the challenge will appeal to local amateur writers and poets, who should appreciate the sensitive nature of the subject matter.”
For a volunteer brief and to receive details of a soldier, please contact Rachael Holtom on rachael.holtom@wiltshiremuseum.org.uk