Follow the Yellow

Celebrating Make More Noise

mmn

This week marks the 100th anniversary of the Representation of the People Act 1918, which enabled some women over the age of 30 to vote for the first time – and paved the way for universal suffrage 10 years later. There are all kinds of celebrations going on to commemorate the centenary, including lots of wonderful books being published that celebrate the achievements of girls and women.

I’m very proud to have a story in Make More Noise, a new anthology of short stories featuring inspirational girls and women to celebrate the centenary, and hopefully help encourage the next generation to keep on making their voices heard! Published by Nosy Crow, £1 from the sale of every book will be donated to Camfed, an international charity which tackles poverty and inequality by supporting women’s education in the developing world.

The anthology features stories by lots of amazing writers like Kiran Milwood Hargrave, Patrice Lawrence, Emma Carroll and Sally Nicholls. It’s very wide-ranging: some stories are historical, others contemporary; there’s fantasy, adventure and even a ghost story; so there really is something for everyone!

My story, ‘Tea and Jam’ is set in 1911, and follows Eveline, a 13-year-old ‘maid-of-all-work’. The story was actually inspired by a tea-set in the Museum of London’s collection, featuring the ‘angel of freedom’ logo designed by suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst:

Photograph of white tea-pot, cup, saucer and plate, all with green and purple WSPU logo

Tea-set from the Museum of London collection

Given that I’d taken the idea for my story from the Museum’s collection it seemed very appropriate that I was there this weekend to celebrate Make More Noise, as part of their special Votes for Women weekend!

Visitors to the Museum could take part in all kinds of activities inspired by the centenary – from banner-making, to trying out suffragette board game Pank-a-Squith, to joining in a rousing march and rally.

makemorenoisephoto

Our activities included creative writing inspired by objects from the museum collection, badge-making and of course, dressing up in for some Edwardian-style suffragette portrait photographs.

Lots of people came along, and it was lovely to meet so many enthusiastic readers and noise-makers… we were even joined by some top suffragettes!

With actors dressed as Sylvia Pankhurst and Christina Broom

Me and Tom Bonnick, the editor of Make More Noise with suffragettes Sylvia Pankhurst, Christina Broom and friend at the Museum of London

Make More Noise was also chosen as Alex O’Connell’s Children’s Book of the the Week in The Times! You can read the review here.

Find out more about Make More Noise on the Nosy Crow website.

Buy it now from Waterstones | The Hive | Amazon

Add it on Goodreads

Leave a reply