The Challenge

Everyone, hello!

[If you've reached this blog and don't know who I am: my name's Jen [hello] and I'm a writer and bookseller living in London, UK. You can read more about my writing and stuff over on my main blog. I also have EEC Syndrome, which is a rare form of Ectodermal Dysplasia. New research has shown that due to a fault in the p63 gene, people with EEC Syndrome suffer progressive sight loss because of their corneas reproducing incorrectly. I wanted to do a fundraising event to raise money for research centres who are looking for a cure for this, and who are also doing research into better understanding and helping out in other areas affected by EEC. Up to date? Splendid.]

EEC International research centres are doing all kinds of wonderful things to try and find a cure for degenerative eye conditions [which, if found, would not only benefit people with EEC but a whole range of eye diseases]. EEC International also do work on lots of other things to do with clefting, cell mutation, p63, plastics, dermatology, hearing problems, all kinds of stuff. Only last week Moorfields eye hospital in London [which is where I go], were given the go ahead to start trials on stem cell treatment for people with Stargardt's macular dystrophy, which causes progressive sight loss. This is all to do with retinas, a different ball game to corneas [EEC], and it shows what money and research and science can do.

SO, to get to the nub and the gist of what I'm trying to say: I have decided that for a fundraiser, in the spirit of National Poetry Day [though I'm aware I won't actually be doing it ON National Poetry Day because, er, that was, er, yesterday], I am going to write 100 poems in one weekend. Yes. Soon I'll be asking you here and people on Twitter to give me tag words. Once I have a list of 100 tag words, on the weekend of the challenge [dates yet to be decided], I'll post the poems as I write them on this blog, using one tag word for each poem. I'll also do youtube videos throughout the weekend documenting it. I may well take some of the poems from this, edit them, and try and make a physical thing for people to buy to raise more money, but that's a whole new thing to think about and that's all for later. SO, yes. 100  poems in a weekend, with tag words from your lovely selves. Me chained at my desk for two days to bring you all [hopefully] pretty things to raise money for EEC International, to help research into EEC Syndrome. More on this when I know dates of when I can do it and all that jazz. In the mean time, do subscribe to this blog to be kept up to date with future updates. You can do that by entering your email address in the box to the top left, or by logging in to blogger and hitting the 'follow' button on the top bar.

Lots of love,

Jen