Letter to an Unknown Soldier

Still time, just, to be involved with this:

LETTER TO AN UNKNOWN SOLDIER, a new kind of war memorial, made only of words and by thousands of people.

1418now.org.uk/letter

Until 4 August, 11pm

There are only 4 days left to contribute to LETTER TO AN UNKNOWN SOLDIER, the digital memorial created by Neil Bartlett and Kate Pullinger as part of the 14-18 NOW programme of cultural commissions to commemorate World War One.

17,000 people have already written letters to the memorial, which is inspired by Charles Sargeant Jagger’s statue of a soldier reading a letter on Platform One at Paddington Station.

Letters are pouring in from people of all ages, from 4-90 years old, from grandmothers and Gurkhas, midwives, musicians, schoolchildren, students, teachers, politicians and prisoners.

Letters are being sent from as far away as China, Brazil, South Africa, USA, Australia, India and Egypt.

Distinguished writers, personalities and politicians who have written letters to the soldier include A L Kennedy, Joanna Lumley, Stephen Fry, Sheila Hancock, Sebastian Faulks, Dawn French, Lee Child, Andrew Motion, Lesley Pearce, Malorie Blackman and the Prime Minister David Cameron.

Our team of editorial moderators are reading every single letter that comes in. If you need some inspiration, they’ve come up with a wishlist of letters that they’d love to see. Their ideas include letters from the ghost of Archduke Ferdinand, a Time Traveller, a prisoner forced to enlist, a spy, and a woman fighting at the front disguised as a man.

All the letters are published online and the entire collection will eventually be archived in the British Library web archive.

LETTER TO AN UNKNOWN SOLDIER will remain open to receive letters until 11pm on 4 August.

Everyone can contribute a letter, either by visiting the website 1418now.org.uk/letter

or posting it to LETTER TO AN UNKNOWN SOLDIER, PO Box 73102, London EC1P 1TY.