New members
A warm welcome to...
Liz Doig, yet another recruit from Elmwood; freelance writer
Renah Valeh;
Thomas Heath, director of Heath Reid & People;
Vicky Burman from Vicky Burman Editorial Services; and last but not least copywriter
Rachel Shaw. We hope you enjoy and contribute to the 26 experience. Remember, 26 is what you make it.
Oh... and also many thanks to all of you who’ve resubscribed to 26 recently. It’s lovely to think that you all want to come back for more.
Finally, for our new members...A big thank you for joining 26.
We started meeting as a group in 2002. We were eight individuals in search of others involved in the daily business of working with words. We simply wanted to share our experiences and ideas, and learn from one another. You can find out more about us at
http://www.26.org.uk/who.htmNews spread of our meetings, and it soon became clear that 26 could be, should be, something much bigger than just us. So we decided to open up the organisation to other writers, editors, language experts and anyone else with a love of language. We launched 26 formally in September 2003...
...And here you are. We’re delighted you’ve become one of 26. We hope we’ll get to explore and enjoy language together in all sorts of interesting and unexpected ways.
26 is open to new ideas from any of its members. We would be especially pleased to hear from you if you'd like to be involved in 26 talks, publications, seminars or other initiatives – even in a small way. You can reach us on 0870 121 13 26 or at
talktous@26.org.ukAs for your 26 quid... thank you very much. The funds we’re raising with your annual subscriptions will go towards running events (most of which will be free to members), developing our web site, creating an online message board for members, and bringing to life a whole range of other initiatives we haven’t even imagined yet.
A number of members have asked whether they can refer to 26 on their business card or in their emails, web site, autobiography or whatever. We think this is a great idea as it helps to raise awareness. We just ask that you use the phrase One of 26, followed by the web site address www.26.org.uk.
In the meantime, your friends and colleagues can find out more about 26 and join at
http://www.26.org.uk , so spread the word.
Our survey says...
What should we be charging for our words?
At 26’s ‘Wordsworth’ event last year, we all decided that it would be a great idea to run a survey to find out about how those of us in the writing trade (profession?) earn a living. You’ll be tickled to hear that we’ve actually gone and done it! Our online ‘Wordsworth’ survey has been set up by our onboard information management consultant, and is ready to rumble. All you have to do now is click this
link and follow the prompts.
Everything is completely anonymous and all the data will be compiled into a short but fascinating report. Please visit and fill it in; it’s a few minutes’ worth of your time and we’ll be sharing the information from it with all 26 members; the more of us who take part, the more representative it will be and the more valuable the results will be to all of us.
(Dear designers and other non-writers, rest assured we haven’t forgotten you. We’re just starting here and seeing how it goes. We’re happy to take suggestions for more survey subjects.)
Our next event
Unfortunately our next speaker has had to move his 26 date back to the Autumn, so we can’t offer you an evening’s diversion this month. However, take our word for it, we’re getting confirmations from some fascinating people for the rest of 2006.
A request: who would you like to see and hear at 26 events? What would you like to know about? from the practical (how do you print your own books?) to the poetic (do you want to stand up in public and read your work?) and all the Ps in between, let us know and the team will do our merry best to please you.
Email sarah@yogateds.com with all your ideas. (And if you’ve got a venue going spare, even better.)
Nibs
or news in briefs…
A new column that dips succinctly into the lives of 26 members. If you’d like to feature in next month’s, please get in touch via newsletter@26.org.uk.
Jamie Jauncey has finally found a publisher for his fourth novel. Macmillan (Young Picador) will publish ‘Blackriggs’ in summer 2007. Originally written for adults, it’s set in a troubled Scotland of the near future, and Jamie is now frantically re-casting the characters as teenagers to meet a June 2006 delivery deadline;
Roger Horberry has been celebrating the fact some of his band’s music features in the new
Bruce Willis film ‘Lucky Number Slevin’;
Sarah McCartney is just back from teaching yoga in Caracas and is now writing her 39th issue of the ‘Lush Times’;
John Simmons has just returned from Singapore, where he has been giving lectures and spreading the good word about 26;
Jim Davies scored the front cover of ‘Design Week’ with an article on writers who illustrate their own work;
Mike Reed has returned to the fray after two weeks’ jury service;
Rishi Dastidar has given a lecture on brands and brand building to students on the TeachFirst programme at Imperial College, London;
Tim Rich has been writing annual reports for Smith & Nephew, MFI and Mears,
and wandering the byways of deepest Sussex preparing for his chapter in the next 26 book, ‘Common Ground’.
‘The Power of Words’
On the evening of March 2 – World Book Day – design company Pearlfisher will be hosting an event called ‘The Power of Words’. This includes an exhibition of typographic posters celebrating great first lines, as well as a number of word-savvy speakers giving readings and/or performances.
Some of the classic first lines up for designerly treatment are Orwell’s ‘1984’, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ by Arthur C Clarke, ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ by Lewis Carrol, JM Barrie’s ‘Peter Pan’, ‘The Stranger’ by Albert Camus and ‘The Bible’ by various. How many of them can you cite?
The posters will be up until the end of March at the Pearlifisher Gallery at 50 Brook Green, London W6. If you’d be interested in coming along on the night, email Lisa Desforges – lisa.d@pearfisher.com. And remember to say that 26 sent you.
‘26 Malts’ on the move
Throughout January and February 206 the ‘26 Malts’ exhibition has been feted at Glasgow’s design temple, The Lighthouse gallery. The building was originally designed in 1895 by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for the ‘Glasgow Herald’.
Now the show is off round the country. We’ve invited the participating Scottish design agencies to host 26 Malts for a month each. With its specially commissioned cherry-wood display cabinet, 26 framed label artworks and four A2 interpretive panels, the exhibition will make for a superb talking point in reception areas or boardrooms.
First up is Third Eye Design in Glasgow, then Studio LR in Edinburgh, who are shortly (appropriately) moving office to an old whisky bond. Others will follow, so watch this space. Today Scotland, tomorrow the world…
Jamie Jauncey
An offer from Cyan Books
‘The Monday Morning Feeling: A Book Of Comfort For Sufferers’ by Joep P.M. Schrijvers (retail price £8.99, discounted to £4.99)Most of us suffer from the Monday morning feeling. Joep Schrijvers, the author of the international bestseller ‘The Way Of The Rat’ (150,000 copies sold worldwide), examines with his usual wit and brutality, the four emotions that are at the heart of the Monday morning feeling – sorrow, fear, disgust and anger. The Monday morning feeling is the inevitable companion of anyone who works in today’s cut-throat corporate environment.
“Few management books genuinely shock… ‘The Monday Morning Feeling’ is a gloomily entertaining disquisition on why so many people are so unenthusiastic about their work… In the end, however, an injection of the relentlessly downbeat ends up being energizing. By clearing out some obvious (and not so obvious) idiocies, Schrijvers obliges you to think about more promising avenues. If The ‘Monday Morning Feeling’ shocks, the effect comes from the bleakness it dissects in the assumptions that underpin so much of corporate life.”
‘How Not To Come Second: The Art Of Winning Business Pitches’ by David Kean (retail price £9.99, discounted to £5.99)Winning new clients is the most competitive activity in business today. Virtually all companies now find themselves having to pitch for work and business. And like any competitive activity – sport, war, politics – there are no prizes for coming second. Written by a leading pitch consultant and trainer, this book brings together, for the first time, the trade secrets to winning new clients and business.
“ ‘How Not To Come Second’ is the quintessential book on pitching and winning new business, written by one of the world’s authoritative practitioners. It is required reading for anyone making new business presentations – a definitive guide on how to do it right.”
To order either of the books above or take advantage of other Cyan offers, just send a cheque made out to ‘Cyan Communications Limited’, to Cyan Communications, 119 Wardour Street, London W1F 0UW. Please include your contact details and the address you’d like the book(s) sent to. Alternatively, contact Cyan at 020 7565 6120, or email orders@cyanbooks.com. Please mention you’re a member of 26.
26 members recommend for February
26 is now an official Amazon affiliate. That means if you order a recommended book or CD by following the links to Amazon, 10% of what you pay will end up in 26’s coffers, helping us to put on more events and recommend more books. A virtuous circle, if you like.
......................................‘Brother, What Strange Place Is This?’ by Tom Saunders (The UKA Press, £9.99 list and £9.99 on Amazon)Travel vicariously to some unusual places with Tom Saunders’ first book of short stories. A Seal Man arrives on a remote island at the time of the Armada, a jazz pianist looks up an old flame in Havana, a fetishistic philosopher becomes enmeshed in the darker side of Vienna’s café society, and a Stepney composer finds himself in an asylum at the turn of the last century. These are surprising, beautifully crafted stories that resonate.
FT
......................................Mozilla Firefox
OK, this is probably a bit techie for 26. But you might just enjoy Firefox, a relatively new, but increasingly popular web browser. It’s supposed to be more secure than many others, particularly Explorer, but the great thing about it is the decidedly untechie themes you can dress it with. I am currently using the high-bling ‘Pimpzilla’, which boasts cream faux fur trim, jewel-encrusted icons, and odd snatches of leopard skin. Very P-Diddy. Download Firefox for free at
www.getfirefox.com.
JD......................................
‘The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories’ by Christopher Booker (Continuum, £12.99 list, £8.57 on Amazon)The idea that all stories spring from a handful of archetypal plots isn’t new, but Booker pursues it with a thoroughness that’s pretty awe-inspiring. Thirty-four years in the making, the book takes in everything from Jaws to Beowulf, James Bond to Little Red Riding Hood. It’s an intriguing read, even if you don’t buy the whole Jungian/Darwinian argument. (Stories apparently contain coded instructions for the future survival of the species – it’s all about living happily ever after.) As far as corporate story-telling goes, I guess most brand stories are a mix of the ‘Rags to Riches’ and ‘Quest’ tales. It’s odd to think of us copywriters all spinning out endless variations on two ancient themes – let’s hope the clients never find out.
NA
......................................'Found' by Davy Rothbart (James Bennett Pty Ltd, £7.24 on Amazon)This book is a fully illustrated compilation of the best lost, tossed, and forgotten items – anything from shopping lists and advertisements to discarded personal letters. Compiler Davy Rothbart, who also edits the Found website and magazine, received contributions from all over the world. If you’re looking for inspiration, this book is invaluable – every entry tells a part of someone’s story, ranging from funny to sad to just plain scary.
LH
......................................
‘The Ricky Gervais Show’ on Guardian UnlimitedInspired ramblings from creators of ‘The Office’, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, accompanied by sidekick and scientific curiosity, Karl Pilkington. It essentially involves them sitting in a studio and talking nonsense – and, through the miracle of podcasting, you can listen to it whenever and wherever you want. Look out especially for Karl’s diary, surely destined to become the next cult publishing phenomenon. The weekly series is coming to an end, but the most recent episodes are still available as free downloads.
www.guardian.co.uk/rickygervais.
NA......................................‘Never Leave Well Enough Alone’ by Raymond Loewy (Editions Assouline, £12.95 on Amazon)First published in 1951 and reprinted 50 years later, the book didn’t exactly meet universal acclaim on either occasion. Loewy’s legendary ego intrudes too often for it to be a comfortable read. Nevertheless, it’s a charming and fascinating record of a time when a designer could work on a corporate identity one minute and a locomotive the next – pausing briefly to redesign Lucky Strike cigarettes for a flat fee of £50,000, settled by a gentlemanly handshake. Part memoir, part design manifesto, it’s a revealing insight into how much and how little the design industry has changed (it seems free pitching was a burning issue even in 1951...)
NA
......................................
‘Voyage That Never Ends’ by Stefano Scodanibbio (New Albion Records)If you love Brian Eno and Kraftwerk, you might enjoy this extraordinary cd of solo double bass playing by Stefano Scodanibbio. Written in 1979, it’s a voyage that grows from a minimalist, powerfully rhythmic start, and moves through complex bowing, plucking and tapping to tigerish growlings. John Cage said that Scodanibbio was the best bass player he’d ever heard. One for minimal music lovers. Plus, you have to order it from New York, so you get exciting foreign post. What more could you want? Visit
www.newalbion.com/artists/scodanibbios/ to order.
FT
......................................
‘Cryptonomicon’ by Neal Stephenson (Arrow, £8.99 list and same price on Amazon)Mind-boggling epic that takes in Alan Turing and Bletchly Park, information theory, swahsbuckling WW2 adventure and all manner of other stuff in a highly satisfying mash up of history and fiction. A bit like a readable version of ‘Gravity’s Rainbow’.
RH
......................................
‘Master and Everyone’ by Bonnie Prince Billie (Domino, £9.99 on Amazon)Always feels bit odd recommending music here, but this one is worth it. An uncommonly engaging and subversive take on country music from curmudgeonly genius Will Oldham. Much better than this rubbish description makes it sound.
RH
......................................
KnockoffIn their words, ‘Album cover spoofs, goofs, tributes, send ups, near misses and coincidences’. A great little site for anyone who loves album cover artwork. Some of the rip-offs are breathtaking, pastiches hilarious, and homages tragic. And then there’s Weird Al Yankovich.
www.knockoffproject.com.
TR......................................Personal annual reportsA great take on the annual report from Megafone designer and photographer Nicholas Feltron. Once you’ve read the AR, take a look at his project on Joseph Heller (Catch 22) and his tour of Iceland (Island).
feltron.com/05report_index.html.
TR......................................This month’s plugs by Jim Davies, Nick Asbury, Roger Horberry, Tim Rich, Lu Hersey and Fiona Thompson. These are not necessarily the views of 26, but we hope they’re not far off the mark. Any contributions gratefully received.
In our humble...
A chance for members of 26 to have their say on the ‘burning’ issues of the day. For February:
“Tone of voice – valuable business commodity or meaningless buzzphrase?”Chris Bird, Word BirdBen & Jerry, those chunky monkeys, were one of the first to sweeten up the corporate tone of voice, thanks to their sweet and sticky language, and the richness of their story-telling. Later, Orange talked to us ‘on equal terms, in a tone of friendly respect’, changing how we thought about mobile phones.
Now we’re in danger of losing our innocence, as global purveyors of hydrogenated vegetable powders seek to sound like entrepreneurial smoothie-makers, and giant multi-nationals market bath bombs in an attempt to sound lush.
So… ‘Tone of voice – valuable business commodity or meaningless buzzphrase?’ It all depends on whether you get in there first, and have something original to say.
Mike Reed, Reed WordsIn this post-Innocent era, I don’t think anyone can doubt the power of a genuinely original and distinctive tone of voice.
However, I do think some clients get excited about ‘tone of voice’ without really appreciating what that means. It can be seen as a bit of a magic wand – “If we get a good tone of voice, we’ll do brilliantly, like Innocent.” (Like the idea that a smart new logo will save the business.) Which I think accounts for the number of people asking for something “a bit like Innocent”.
When you ask about the brand, its personality, and what makes it distinctive, such clients often go a bit quiet and start frowning. And they tend to come up with a brief that says, “We want to sound professional and authoritative, but also friendly, human and conversational.” All too often, this is presented as something genuinely new and distinctive.
A genuinely distinctive voice has to be grounded in the truth of the brand and its values. Otherwise it can sound like someone putting on an accent in a transparent attempt to be something they’re not.
Ben AfiaHow we talk to people affects how they feel about us. They make assumption on what we say, and how. If our words and tone fit how they see the world, they might want to talk to us more. And if they don’t, they’ll look elsewhere. So much for stating the obvious.
But I think the same goes for companies and organisations. The words and tone they use give us clues about what they’re like to deal with and whether we can trust them. That’s what I think tone of voice is about. So, I absolutely think it’s a valuable business commodity.
What remains to be seen is how far we can take it. Innocent’s distinctive tone of voice on bottles, echoes the purity of the juice inside. And the idea of drinking unadulterated juice appeals to people who feel bad about eating loads of takeaways. It’s a great business idea, brilliantly
communicated through a tone that’s attractive to a certain market. The result is an expanding business that sells lots of juice.
For other organisations, like the water board, we still want to feel that what matters to us, matters to them. And a straightforward and honest tone can help them to get that message across to us... but only if they believe it.
‘The Writer’s Materials Trilogy’ review by Anelia Schutte
John Simmons is a founder-director of 26, and widely regarded as the person who set the current tone for tone of voice. His three books have been described as ‘manifestos for every writer in business who wants to be a better writer’. So when Cyan Books decided to republish ‘We, Me, Them & It’ and ‘The Invisible Grail’ in a common format to 2004’s ‘Dark Angels’, it was only fitting that the launch of the trilogy should be the first 26 event of 2006.
Hosted by Elmwood at their swanky new offices in Soho, the evening kicked off with a spirited introduction by 26 co-founder Martin Hennessey. John then read extracts from his two republished books, including the revised preface to ‘The Invisible Grail’, which seemed to sum up his overall message.
“My concern is unusual. Of course, like any author, I want to find readers. But my overriding concern is to find writers. I want people out there – you, dear readers – to read this book but then, more importantly, to think “yes, I can now be a better writer because I want to be”.
“My quarrel with books like those by Lynne Truss and John Humphrys, proudly proclaiming a zero-tolerance approach to ‘bad English’ and bad grammar, is that they do not encourage people to write. They inhibit, they instil fear and they undermine confidence; obsession with ‘correctness’ works against the constant evolution that has been the greatest strength of English as a language. Dullness, particularly when enforced by pedantry, is the subtlest enemy of effective communication in business. Look at the examples around you and yawn. Playfulness with language sometimes involves breaking the ‘rules’ of grammar, and I want to instil a sense of fun not fear. If people enjoy writing more, they will get better at it. So, please, read on. And then, please, write on.”
He also put the books in the context of what has happened since they were first published – notably the rapid evolution of 26, and its aim to draw attention to the neglected role of language in business.
With drinks, canapés and delightful waiting staff provided by The Writer, the evening was a suitable celebration of John’s work. If you didn’t own his three books already, you probably would have by the end of the night. Cyan publisher Martin Liu’s eight-year-old daughter, salesperson extraordinaire, would have seen to that.
