Send a Novelist to the Far North

Last night I launched my first ever grassroots fundraising campaign, to raise money for my work as a novelist. I’ve been invited to join The Arctic Circle 2013, a two-week-long, arts-and-science-led residency this summer aboard an ice-breaking schooner. It will take place in the coastal waters off Svalbard, in northern Norway, exactly where my new novel-in-progress, titled The Gyre, takes place! I can hardly believe my good fortune.

My fundraising campaign aims to raise $6,000 to cover The Arctic Circle participant fee. Needless to say, this is a spectacular opportunity. Not only will I sail, hike, explore and observe the remote wilderness where my characters’ stories unfold, but I will share the journey with a group of 24 artists and scientists. I’ve been told that our itinerary will be project-led, which means there’s a high likelihood that the specific locales where my novel takes place will help decide our route of our voyage.

Here’s my Kickstarter video that describes everything in more detail, and it also has some amazing footage of 1930s seal hunters navigating the ice in northern Newfoundland. Check it out, and thank you for helping me spread the word. To donate, visit the project page here.

Thanks so much for your support. Onward!

Warmly,
Stacy