26 founding member and author of the Live Canon-shortlisted pamphlet Berliners, John Simmons, invites 26ers and Dark Angels to join him on a trip to Berlin.
Recently I received a Word of the Day email about ‘whereness’. The word was defined as ‘the condition or essence of being in a specific place’. Interesting, I thought, so much of my creative life has become writing about specific places.
In particular, I’ve been absorbed in thoughts about Berlin – to write the poem about it, to record it, to plan a trip to the city.
“Tell me more,” I hear you say. Well, the idea is this: four days in Berlin ‘Walking with words’. I aim to take a group of 26ers and Dark Angels to Berlin in October to walk through the city to places mentioned in the poem Berliners, to do readings en route, to write in response to the inspiration provided by this fascinating city.
I’ll be leading a group (a dozen at most) to explore some of the iconic places and some of the less-known ones. We’ll travel around Berlin on foot, by train, on a boat. We’ll experience the atmosphere and discover more of the history that led me to write Berliners. We’ll become Berliners for four days in the supportive company of other writers and lovers of words. And I’ll be joined by Catherine Ann Berger, who inspired me to write Berliners in a conversation we once had in Berlin.
I’m excited by the prospect – I never tire of visiting Berlin, it’s the city of the 20th century. There’s always more to discover.
I’ve put the dates 9th-13th October in my diary. If you think you might want to do the same, I’ll be happy to supply more details in a specially designed programme. Don’t miss out, this is a one-off opportunity to experience this extraordinary city as a writer.
Email john@dark-angels.org.uk to receive the day-by-day programme, travel and accommodation details, and the remarkably affordable price.
I look forward to hearing from you.
– John Simmons