Dear patient and lovely Supporters of the Craftivist Collective Handbook

First of all thank you to everyone who replied so empathetically to my vulnerable update I sent in November. Since then I’ve been a hermit hiding from social media and the internet to complete writing all of the essays for the handbook (the hardest part for me so far and it's done *phew*!) whilst also moving house to lower my financial overheads and also a few of scary months of being fast-tracked for intrusive medical tests for a health problem (luckily I’m ok and have an operation booked this Summer to address the issue - I thank The Lord for the NHS and the surgeon who promised me that the operation rehabilitation will all be finished in time for me to be able to deliver lots of handbook events next year with no pain or movement limitations YAY!). Your positive comments and direct messages of support and encouragement have really helped me get through an emotionally, physically and mentally challenging few months and I’ll always be grateful to you for that. Thank you for helping me get through the darkness into the light. 

Now back to exciting news about the Craftivist Collective Handbook you are helping me create to serve our fragile world: 

1. We are on track to meet the new deadline of 1st July for the handbook to head to the printers so that you receive your exclusive Special Edition in Spring 2024 before the trade issue goes on shelves in all good bookshops, shops and libraries in the UK and North America (and available globally through Craftivist Collective website of course).
2. The Executive Director and Creative Director of Crafts Council (UK national charity for craft) Natalie Melton is ‘honoured’ to write the foreword for the handbook and initiated a conversation about how we can work together to launch the book at their beautiful HQ in London, Hay Festival 2024 (TBC), online and in print. I’ll happily update you on our plans and hope you can join us at some of our online or offline events next year. 
3. We are making space on the back of the handbook for two endorsements and I can confirm that one of them will be Helen Pankhurst - women’s rights activist, scholar and writer. She is currently the CARE International’s senior advisor working in the UK and Ethiopia. And yep, you guested it: Helen is also the great-granddaughter of Emmeline Pankhurst and granddaughter of Sylvia Pankhurst, who were both leaders in the suffrage movement and who have influenced her activism hugely. Helen has been following the Craftivist Collective’s work over the years and repliedyes  to my hopeful request saying:  “Mutual fandom going on as I really admire your approach.”  As soon as I can confirm our second endorser I will excitedly let you know (I have someone at the top of my list that looks like it is likely to happen - and many of you will recognise them from the TV.) 

Admin update:

You should have received an email this week from Unbound asking you to check you are happy with the name that will be printed in the back of every copy. Please check your spam or junk mail if you have not received it. Or log-in directly to your account with www.unbound.com that you created to place your order. Please follow their instructions in Unbound's email if you want to change the name (and/or postal address) on the Supporter pages of the handbook before 3rd June 2023 and of course it would be wonderful if you wanted to order more copies for loved ones (you will receive the Special Edition, Limited Edition version not available in stores) - a lovely surprise gift for them to see their name in the back of each book alongside 1600+ fellow changemakers. 

Final thoughts:

This journey of writing your Craftivist Collective Handbook has shown me that the way I work and my personality traits do not easily fit the fast-paced content-creation world many of us are used to seeing online and in our capitalist society. I wish I was a better at multi-tasking, faster at writing essays and creating thoughtful projects. Plus I wish I was more comfortable being in the public eye sharing updates via email and social media videos to camera like lots of people do so well but it's just not me. I'm sorry for not updating you as often as other authors do or you may have liked. Thank you again for trusting that I was not being lazy or taking your support for granted but that I was hiding away working to try to fulful the potential this handbook has to be a helpful tool for readers around the world on their journeys to be creative, compassionate and strategic changemakers. And thank you for being so understanding of my authentic process of working quietly, slowly and away from the internet  for the last few months - I really appreciate your kindness and I feel incredibly privilged to be part of this collective of compassionate campaigners from around the world. 

I have more exciting updates I can’t wait to tell you in the next few weeks and months leading up to the birth of this unique and colourful handbook. So you might go from wondering what I'm doing to telling me to stop spamming you with short and sporadic updates! ;p 

All my gratitute and excitement for our creation 

Sarah P Corbett