Yesterday when I first heard about the earthquake, I jumped online to learn more about it. The news images and reports were shocking. I sat online for most of the afternoon with a friend down there, hoping to offer some support and comfort while she waited to hear from her family.

I felt pretty useless, thinking there was nothing I could do. But then I had an idea, and while it made me nervous, I thought – to hell with it. I have to do something!

I am a writer, and all I can really offer is words. But words can make a world of difference. I emailed Anna Caro to see if she would get on board with the idea and since then it’s taken off!

Here is our initial announcement:

Christchurch, New Zealand, and the wider Canterbury region, was rocked yesterday (22.2.11) by another round of serious earthquakes. This time they struck during the middle of the day causing more devastation, and loss of life, to a city still trying to pick up the pieces from last September’s quakes.

In an attempt to do something, anything, to make a difference, we are putting together an anthology of short stories loosely themed around survival, hope and the future. All profits of this anthology will be donated to the Red Cross Earthquake Appeal, or another registered charity aimed at aiding those in need in Canterbury.

The purpose of this Anthology is two-fold—to help financially, but also, we hope, to provide entertainment and alleviation in a time of crisis. We hope that our words will help make a difference.

We have already begun to approach authors, and the response is encouraging. Mainly due to time pressures, this anthology will be by invitation. However, if you are an established writer, and keen to contribute, please feel free to get in touch with us at just.cassie.hart@gmail.com. We are looking for stories between 1,500 and 5,000 words, of fairly upbeat nature in the general, literary, science fiction or fantasy genres.

Feel free to repost this and get the word out!