What is 26?
26 is a not-for-profit organisation for writers and anyone who believes in the power of words. Many of us work with words for a living – as business writers, authors, journalists, communication specialists, poets and designers – but we welcome anyone who cares about words and writing.
26 was founded in 2003 by seven writers who wanted to champion the importance of words in all aspects of life.
We chose the name 26 because there are 26 letters in the English alphabet – the DNA of language.
What do we do?
Our members participate in creative ‘crowd-writing’ initiatives, which bring together multiple writers to focus on a particular theme. Our projects are inspiring and fun to take part in, but also aim to have a social or cultural impact. We often work with external partners: these have included the V&A, Imperial War Museums, PEN International, The Foundling Museum and The Wildlife Trusts. Many of these writing projects are linked to books or exhibitions.
We are always open to new ideas for writing initiatives and to working with new partners.
We also offer members:
- training relevant to their professional interests
- a profile on our website
- talks and discussion sessions
- a monthly newsletter
- social events.
And we present the 26 Awards for both the best emerging business writer and the best work in our creative projects.
Individual membership costs £40 a year. Join now →
Corporate membership costs £400 a year. This allows up to 15 people in your company to participate as members. Join now →