I don't want to watch more refugees suffer, or die, without speaking up, even if my voice is small. Many small voices can make a loud noise.

So I'm grateful to Jacqueline Saphra for organising the Poem-A-Thon for Refugees which will let me, and sixty other poets, raise our voices and, we hope, raise some money for Médecins Sans Frontières, the brave medics who are right now helping people in urgent need across the Mediterranean region.

Please join us on 5th December at Vout-O-Reenees, 30 Prescott Street, London E1 8BB, a gorgeous private members' club owned by the amazing Sophie Parkin. Time: 12 noon to 10 pm. (I'm on at about 9pm.) Entry to the event is free.

Please sponsor me, or anyone else on the team, to help people, who like us, only want to live in safety, with a sense of hope.

If I lived in a war zone, or under a cruel dictatorship, I would walk barefoot over glass to get my children out. Wouldn't you?

Jacqueline explains the impetus behind her Poem-A-Thon so much better than I can. So here is her story:

"I woke up one morning to more horrific news of refugees and thought of my own relatives who died during the Second World War, how the world turned its back on the Jews in Europe using the same arguments our own governments are using now. I thought I had to do something to raise both  funds and awareness of the terrible humanitarian crisis.

I know a lot of poets and I thought there must be a way to put our skills to good use. I put out a call for help with this and received an avalanche of support. Together with my trusty committee, I have organised  this huge Poem-a-thon for Refugees - sixty poets each reading for eight minutes in the course of one day.

This will be on 5th December at Vout-O-Reenees, 30 Prescott Street, London E1 8BB, a gorgeous private members' club owned by the amazing Sophie Parkin. 

Time: 12 noon to 10 pm. 

Entry  to the event is free. Please sponsor me and pop in for as long or short  a time as you like on the day to cheer our many fabulous poets.

All funds raised will be through sponsorship and donations. Funds raised will go to support the work of MSF and its work with refugees in the Mediterranean.

JDonating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll  never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity."