get ellie to finland

I have been selected as the February 2020 writer in residence at Villa Sarkia in Finland and I am so excited! Villa Sarkia is a house run by Finnish Cultural Institution, Nuoren Voiman Liitto, which hosts a select number of writers every year, to work on their craft for a month. This will be my first ever residency (which for a poet is VERY exciting). I'll be at Villa Sarkia for all of February working on my second collection of poetry.

How does it work?

I'll be living in the tiny, snow filled town of Sysmä, Finland, at Villa Sarkia. I will be devoting some much needed time to my second collection. I will also be performing my poetry around Finland and running a writer's workshop. I am so thrilled about the opportunity to devote myself to my writing, take my work overseas and share skills with other writers!

What I will be creating:

I will be using this time (the first time I've ever had to work ONLY on my writing!) to work on my second collection of poetry. My debut collection was about my experiences as a survivor of sexual abuse and living with C-PTSD. My second collection is about experiences of healing, and what happens after we are deemed "better". So many conversations around sexual violence and mental illness contribute to harmful stigma. Nuanced conversations and art about these topics are vital. We are told not to talk about them, but we need to. To heal, not only on a personal level, but a collective one.

How can you be involved?

By donating to and sharing this campaign! I've come to boosted because I need your help covering costs to get me to Finland and keep me alive once I'm there! Your donation will mean I can cover the essential costs to help me complete my first ever residency and finish my second collection of poetry!

Please share with your friends and family, I truly appreciate it <3

Arohanui and a big big thank you!

Talk soon,
Ellie xx

Learn more about Villa Sarkia here: https://nuorenvoimanliitto.fi/residenssi

Find out about my poetry/me here:   https://www.girlsonkey.com/poetryportalshop/Eager-to-Break-Eliana-Gray-p127089532 

And here: https://www.instagram.com/foxfoxxfox/

photo credits: Jessica Thompson-Carr