Jane Borodale will be researching, writing and publishing fiction that interprets and brings alive the medieval 124 ft Tower of St Michael’s Church in Mere, Wiltshire. Jane, who lives in Somerset is a successful published writer of historical fiction with her primary interest being in the history of place and the ordinary lives of the past.
She says “I am keen to write a group of six short stories that explore the rooms in the Tower. These would be stories plausibly rooted in the Tower which aim to flesh out and breathe life into existing clues and fragments of the everyday past in Mere, to create vivid, affecting and engaging moments”.
Jane will be working closely with Mere School, Mere Museum and the entire Mere community. She will also be holding a series of writing Workshops within the community. “My own passion for history was sparked by childhood visits to local museums and by reading historical fiction, and I am particularly keen for my Tower Stories to enable children and young people to connect imaginatively with the history of their own locality. I can’t wait to begin!”
Felicity Wilson, Chair of The Friends of St Michaels’ the Archangel adds “We were thrilled to receive 42 high quality applications after the position was advertised nationally. The whole community in Mere now has the incredible opportunity to work with someone of Jane’s calibre and I would like to thank again the players of the National Lottery who have made all of this possible.”
