Tim's bid to tell '˜forgotten' tale

Tim Atkinson, 50, has looked to the crowdfunding website Unbound to get his second novel, entitled The Glorious Dead, published.

Unbound sees authors pitch their book ideas directly to readers, who then choose the ones they like and pledge their support financially.

When an idea has enough supporters, the book is written and produced, with backers receiving something in return for their donation.

The Glorious Dead promises to reveal what happened when the Great War ended, to tell the story of the battlefield clearances and creation of iconic war cemeteries and to explain why so many men who served - and survived - remained in Flanders amid the ruins of the war they had fought. The story follows one of these men - Jack Patterson.

Tim, who taught at Boston Grammar School for 15 years, said: “Most books about the Great War end with the Armistice. A few deal with the Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles, usually with reference to German reparations and a nod to what was going to happen twenty-odd years later. But for thousands of ordinary British soldiers the war - against mud, against their memories and the madness of what they’d just been through, carried on.

“The work that men like Jack did is in many ways the forgotten story of World War One. But it’s a story I think needs telling. I’m delighted that Unbound has lent their support to the project and I’m confident that people will agree with me that this is a book that needs to be published.”

Tim’s first novel was the acclaimed Writing Therapy. In 2010, he won Blog of the Year and Best Blog Writer in the 2010 Mums and Dads awards.

You can support the appeal at unbound.co.uk/books/
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