At today's Coffee Morning, over 20 former pupils from across the years came together to hear a reading from Jim McDonald's (1970) recently published poetry anthology, 'Crying for Kharkiv'. 

Jim talked to the group of teachers and pupils from his past who inspired his early thoughts on poetry, such as when teacher 'Kipper' Heron explained he never drove a car to school as he was too busy thinking about poetry, and rather, it was safer for all if he took the bus! 

While Jim went down a route involving Biology, rather than creative writing, he explained, that as news of the war in Ukraine began to unfold in early 2022, he immediately looked to poetry as a tool to manage his response and emotions. With close family and friends in Ukraine and The Baltics, Jim had both a very human response, and an emotional one due to his closeness to people living the reality of war.

We were all captivated by his poetry and if you would like to read more you can purchase your copy here: Crying for Kharkiv by Jim McDonald. 

100% of royalties from this book will be donated directly to Hope and Homes for Children, an international charity working in Ukraine since 1998 to ensure each child can enjoy the safety and belonging of a loving family home, never an orphanage. To learn more about their response during the invasion of Ukraine, please visit www.hopeandhomes.org/ukraine-report