Updates from 26
Last month saw the launch of 26’s new Radio Show / Podcast, “Why Words Matter” – a collaboration with the Bloomsbury Festival. Tune in, listen to the podcast, or read John Simmons and Andy Hayes’ discussion of the series.
In the meantime we have an adjacent recommendation…
The Book of Because. 2015’s answer to the same question posed by this podcast (then phrased as “why is it important to inspire a greater love of words?”).
To those who have the book lying around somewhere – pick it out and remind yourselves. To those who don’t, pop me an email if you would like one posted your way, or take a look at a small sample selection both above and below.
Members’ News
I’ll be teaching a workshop “Writing From the Margins” at the Abergavenny Writing Festival on April 5 at 4:15pm here’s more info: https://abergavennywritingfestival.com/saturday-5-april-2025-melville-arts-centre/
– Regina Beach (To learn more about Regina, take a look at her Meet a Member profile)
Members’ Recommendations
Fellow 26er Anushka Shah recently sent me a poem from Emily Berry’s Unexhausted Time. She singled out the lines “She was like an old piano you only had / to tread past lightly for a key to ring out / in alarm. I too was an old piano… / I wanted to say, Don’t feel so much! / But then I wanted to play a tune…” Since reading, when I walk past my old piano, I’ve been secretly hoping she might call out a ghostly note in response, too.
– Chloe Green
I was in an amateur production of Pirates of Penzance and watched another amateur (but much higher budget) show of Hunchback of Notre Dame. I had a blast both doing and watching the shows. So my recommendation this month would be if you want to and can get involved in amateur dramatics, go for it! You’ll have a great time! And, sparing that, if there are shows going on in the local area, do attend – you might find yourself having a lot more fun than you expect!
– Harry Ashton-Key
Extracts from 26’s Book of Because.