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To celebrate the bi-centenary of the birth of Mary Seacole, Jason Young (Prize-winner of the Writers Forum short story competition for October 2002) has written a short story titled Mother Seacole.

'Jason Yong has beautifully captured the well-recognised maternal feelings that Mary Seacole had towards her beloved British soldiers during the Crimean War.' Professor Elizabeth N Anionwu, Head of the Mary Seacole Centre for Nursing Practice at Thames Valley University. She is a leading supporter of the activities to commemorate the 2005 200th anniversary of the birth of Mary Seacole, the pioneering black nurse and heroine of the War.

The story is set in the Crimea where Mary Seacole ran the British Hotel near Balaclava providing a 'mess-table and comfortable quarters for sick and convalescent officers'.

Jason Young, a graduate of King's College, London, is a published writer of historical fiction. He has previously worked for BBC Television, Warner Brothers, Jim Henson Productions Limited, as well as Simon and Schuster Publishers, Bloomsbury and Penguin Publishers respectively. He is the founder and president of the Tooting and Balham Writers' Circle and is currently developing a stage play on Mary Seacole.

To order Mother Seacole (£2) email sean.creighton@btinternet.com. The items will be sent with postage and packing added. Alternatively send a cheque made payable to Sean Creighton to 18 Ridge Road, Mitcham CR4 2ET. Add 50p for post and packaging.