by readers
I wrote The Cure for Sleep to be an invitation, calling forth the stories of others.
So while the book shows how it was to be me - a wife and mother in a small town, yearning for a larger life - this project is where I’m daring you to share the most important parts of your life story in turn.
And it’s my privilege to share your words with a wider readership by publishing them over on the story archive at thecureforsleep.com – which you can begin exploring here using the links below. You can also discover contributors by name in the A to Z section at the bottom of this page.
After reading, I hope you’ll be inspired to become one of our regular storytellers yourself. More and more contributors are going on to prize listings, course acceptances and book deals after having their words published as part of this project, and I’d love that to happen for you too.
Please note: All contributions receive individual feedback from me, and you can expect to receive this within a week of submission. If I am ever needing to be away from the project longer than that, I will post an update to the whole community.
“If you’re writing away by yourself and anxious about showing your work to others, here’s a lovely opportunity to share in a kind, supportive space. Have a look. Take the leap. I’m so glad I did” Sheila de Courcy
Season 3 (2023)
Impossible Objects | Stay This Moment | Terrible Questions | Out of Body | Voices Around Us
Season 2 (2022)
Gestures | Reading | Birthday Letters | Mentors | Longing | Friends | Skill | Mirrors | Hands | Play
Season 1 (2021)
Rebirth | Faith | Regret | Desire | Time | Size & Shape | Promises | Choosing | Bonding | Memory Games | Bedtime Stories
A to Z of contributors
In this fast-growing community of several thousand active readers, there is also an ever-growing number who are taking the next step of becoming writers for the project. And between them, they have already produced hundreds of stories (with more arriving daily). Click on any of the names (in this regularly updated list) to read a story by that author…
Adela Ryle | Alice Dvořák Hughes | Alice Murphy-Pyle | Amanda Scott | Amanda Cooke | Amelia H | Amy Boyd | Amy Millios | Andrea Day | Anna Francis | Anna Marie Laforest | Anoushka Yeoh | Aoife Boyle | Barrie Thomson | Becs B | Caitlin Cornec | Caro Giles (writing as Caro Fentiman) | Carole Mahood | Carolyn Dew | Catherine Davies | Cathy Robinson | Charlotte Dawson | Christina Golian | Claire Storrow | Corinne Kagan | Davina Adamson | Debbie Yearsley Davidson | Diane Auby | Donna Maynard | E E Rhodes | Eimear Gallagher | Elena | Ellie Hobson | Emily Tamas | Emma Willsteed | Erika Cleveland | Faye Davidson | Fionnuala O'Shea | Fran Pollard | Genevieve Dutton | Geoff Cox | Heidi Reinsch | Helen Callear | Helen Louise | Holly Nicholls | Ian Tattum | J Sinclair | Jackie Goode | Jan Hillier | Jane Adams | Jane Burnett | Janine Matho | Jean Wilson | Jen Ratcliffe | Jeni Bell | Jenni | Jennifer Carter | Jess | Jo Regan | Joanne Baker | Jodi | Julie Benham | Julie Schmidt | Kaz Field | Kerry Whitley | Kit Dawson | Kristin Lang | Laine Thompson | Larissa Reid | Laura | Lauren McGregor | Lauren Longshaw | Lou Hudson | Louise Newman | Louise Ratcliffe | Louise Stead | Lucy Lichen | M Nivalis | Margaret O'Brien | Maria James | Maria Simoes | Marie Leahy Stark | Marilyn Daniels | Maurni O’Beirne | Michelle Geffken | Mike Winter | Miranda R Waterton | Molly Cooper | Monique Kennedy | Natalie Dawson | Nicola Pitchford | Oakley Torrens | Paul Gamble | Paul Miller | Peter Hamer | Peter Shukie | Rebecca Broad | Rebecca Perkins | Rosalyn Huxley | Rowan Ambrose | Ruth Petherick | Sally Harrop | Sara Stegen | Sarah Connor | Sarah Playforth | Sharon C | Sheila de Courcy | Sheila Knell | Sophie Pierce | Steve Harrison | Stevie | Sue Reed | Sue Tanton | Susan Bennett | Susanna | Suse | Tam Dean Burn | Tamsin Grainger | Tim LeRoy | Tracey Kennedy | Tracey Mayor | Vanessa Wright | Wendy Clifford | Zofia K Stanley