by readers

Dec 30, 2022

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

The Cure for Sleep Stories: Season 3 Themes

Season 2 (2022)

A nine by nine montage of images showing the monthly themes from Season Two of Tanya Shadrick's Substack story-sharing project: Gestures; Gestures, Reading; Birthdays; Longing; Skill; Friends; Mirrors; Hands; Play — The Cure for Sleep Stories: Season 2 Themes

Season 1 (2021)

A nine by nine montage of images showing the monthly themes from Season One of Tanya Shadrick's Substack story-sharing project: Faith; Regret; Desire; Time; Size & Shape; Promises; Choosing; Bonding; Bedtime Stories — The Cure for Sleep Stories: Season 1 Themes

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…

the cure for sleep with tanya shadrick

by readers

Season 3 (2023)

Season 2 (2022)

Season 1 (2021)

A to Z of contributors