Earlier this week was the launch of the charity anthology “Children of War”, an amazing collection of short stories by fourteen different authors, exploring the experiences of children trapped in war.

Amazing short stories

This collection of short stories, written by authors from around the globe, consists of fourteen heart-wrenching stories in several different genres including memoir, fantasy, literary fiction, and historical fiction. In a powerful way, Children of War shows a variety of conflicts and effects of war on the most vulnerable of the population. Though hope and optimism are prevalent, the stories don’t ignore the harsh reality of tragic circumstances.

My short story “The Dragon’s Demise” is one of the stories included in the anthology. In this story, set in Ingravia, on the world Sor, we follow Runig, who was a scullery boy in the Imperial Palace during the Ingravian Rebellion. Through his eyes, we see the atrocities he was made to witness, and how his experiences of that day haunt him for the rest of his life.

When the call for submissions for this anthology came, back in March, I immediately knew I wanted to contribute. Growing up in the sixties and seventies, with the shadows of World War II looming over my everyday life due to my mother’s war trauma, I know how important it is that children trapped in war get the help they need as soon as possible, so as to improve their chances of emotional healing.

War trauma and PTSD

Though I don’t personally think full emotional recovery from war trauma to be a genuine possibility, I am convinced it is possible to minimise the impact of these traumatic experiences if war victims get the psychological help they need as soon as possible. I believe this holds true for adults and children alike.

Back when my mother was a child, there was no help available. People didn’t recognise that it was needed. Didn’t know the impact war trauma could have not only on the current generation, but also on generations to come; the children and even grandchildren of those who were children during the war.

Nobody had ever heard of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder yet.

We know better. We know about PTSD. Effective treatment is possible, but as with everything in life, this too, costs money. With this charity we hope to raise as much money as possible to help cover part of those costs.

All proceeds of the “Children of War” anthology go to Voices of Children, Ukraine

Help us help the children. Order your copy of CHILDREN OF WAR today: