When the klaxon sounded for 26 Bridges back in October last year, interest spilled over into a new project, 26 Twinned Bridges, thanks to John Simmons who, along with Stuart Delves, bridges both…
While the original project offers up a tantalising 26 London bridges for creative inspiration, one for each of 26 writers, and a charity to support, this one works differently. Twinning writers from the UK with writers in Aotearoa New Zealand, each picks their own bridge in their own country, as they embark on a creative journey together.
The bridge is not only the subject but the idea woven into the very fabric of it. Writers on opposite sides of the world, at opposite ends of the day and year, share inspiration, experiences and ideas along the way.
Kicking things off in late January was a launch Zoom with writers from the each side of the world tuning in for a live pairing as names were randomly picked out of hats in London and Auckland. With cups of tea or glasses of wine, writers ‘met’ their new partners and arranged how and when they’d connect next.
The brief for these 13 pairs, separated by 12,000 miles yet connected by their bridges, is a centena (100 words, first and last three words the same) and a 260-word essay with sketches and photos to illustrate. There are as many checkpoints along the way as each pair would like, as they choose a bridge, write a centena and then find an approach for co-writing the essay.
As days lengthen and winter turns to spring in the UK, nights creep in and the first Autumn chills are felt in New Zealand, making the search for a conversation window ever more elusive. Whether cupping a hot drink at 7am or waking to find a wonderful new piece of writing in your inbox from your partner, it’s all part of the magic. So far, these constraints and the randomness of the pairings have shown a potential to add a new creative impetus, friendships too. Getting to know another writer, and having them alongside for inspiration and encouragement has proved to be another rare pleasure.
As John Simmons comments from London “It’s been a joyful project, making connections, building bridges from one side of the world to the other. Physical bridges making metaphorical bridges, and I have the sense that friendships are being created through the magic of random pairing. All of this despite, or perhaps because of the planet’s reality of two groups experiencing opposite seasons of the year – a theme we might come back to.” And in the spirit of bridging, from the other side of the world, Jane Berney adds, ‘E.M Forster’s words ‘only connect’ have long been an inspiration for 26 writers, and the 26 Twinned Bridges project is a wonderful exploration of that thought. We are truly building bridges across the globe, from the UK to Aotearoa New Zealand and as far as Ghana in Africa, in our writing and in the friendships that are developing as we collaborate.’
With some trail -blazing from 26 Connections a little while back, we’re exploring new territory with this way of working. And there is much bridging still to go. Watch this space.
– Jayne Workman