YuFund Grant Report Model (Maximum 400 words)

Please complete under the following headings: Which group are you and how much support did you receive? Describe the activity or purchase that the grant enabled What difference this made to student and the community, describe the impact A short message of thanks to the alumni who gave the money for your grant Sign off with who you are and your position on the committee/within the

project

The York Juba Anthology is a collaborative creative writing project between the universities of York and Juba, in South Sudan. A generous grant of £500 meant that 220 high quality copies of the Anthology could be printed.

The committee collected and edited submissions throughout the year before compiling the finished Anthology, which was printed in time for our launch party on 21 June 2013. Having a physical anthology encourages both the writers and the committee, providing a positive aim and a tangible achievement for the enjoyment of all involved. It is also a valuable publicity tool which can be used as a reminder of the anthology’s success, prompting more students to get involved. We were able to achieve a professionally finished and aesthetically pleasing look to the book, with a cover designed gratis by Rob Bartley of Lux Nox Design. Half of the copies printed will be sold on campus (we achieved some sale success at the launch party) to further support the society and in particular to help us send the remaining copies to the students in South Sudan who contributed to this project.

The project aimed to create illuminating cross-cultural comparisons and encourage the developing relationship between students of these two universities. For those involved, the Anthology offered an outlet for student writers to express themselves in a creative and constructive way. It offered invaluable experience to those interested in developing their written communication and built the confidence of those who were then able to see their work in print. This was especially important for students at Juba, because English is not their first language and literary resources are very tight – without this project they might otherwise be unable to share their stories. Our theme last summer, ‘Change’ offered many a chance to address the traumas of war and their hopes for independence. This year, we hope the theme of ‘Achievement’ encouraged a development of these thoughts for both student groups.

Those involved in running the Anthology at York also benefitted from the opportunity to develop a number of valuable and transferrable skills. The election process and committee meetings prompted students to practise their persuasive public speaking skills, and working throughout the year on this project required them to demonstrate organisation and team work.

Everyone involved in the project is extremely grateful to the generous alumni who have donated and supported us. Thank you so much.

Lola HarreEditor in Chief

Attached: a high resolution photo (at least 1MB)

Attributable Quote (additional to word count)