USING words to encapsulate the plight of homelessness, an historian has launched a poetry book she wants the town to rally behind.

Without Walls is a poetry anthology dedicated to, and in aid of, Colchester’s homeless.

Compiled by Alice Goss, it started with her own brush with homelessness and will hopefully end with thousands of pounds being pumped into the organisations supporting those on the edge.

She said: “I was unemployed and had been for almost a year, rapidly running out of funds and heading for homelessness. I sold my business and then couldn’t find work.

“When I looked at what was available for homeless people, there was precious little but I was determined not to let it happen to me.

“I thought of what I could do to help. I didn’t have the time for frontline volunteer work but decided I could use my skills to develop another way of raising awareness of the homeless issue because it’s reached epidemic levels.

“At the time I was writing poetry for a further project and the idea dawned on me to do a book of poetry on Colchester landmarks which would feature photographs and illustrations, and for it to be history based.”

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After issuing an open call for submissions, there are now more than 70 poems in Without Walls, which has been supported by Poetry Wivenhoe and the Colchester Mosaic poetry group.

These will be accompanied by more than 50 photographs as well as artists’ illustration, articles on homeless initiatives and vagrancy from a historical perspective.

She said: “The anthology will be a souvenir book of Colchester that has saleability but also something which can be replicated in other towns and cities to raise money for their homeless community.

“Producing a book is a different approach to raising money and awareness of this really serious issue which is totally out of control.

“The next step is to find someone to sponsor the cost of producing it which will run into the thousands of pounds - an individual or business sponsor.”

Remaining donations and book sale proceeds will benefit Emmaus, St Peter’s Guest House, Colchester Rough Sleepers Group’s bus conversion project, the Night Shelter and food bank.

The official launch will take place at Colchester Arts centre later this year with an evening of poetry and music.

For the full details of how to donate, go to Facebook.com/ColchesterPoetryProject or email alice555uk@yahoo.com.

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