The story of Christmas

At the very end of August this year, designer person man thing Sam Gray emailed me from faraway Plymouth with the beginning of an idea. He wrote in his email:

Why don’t we, in true 26 [the writers' group] style, invite people to do something for Christmas? It just so happens that the first 26 days of December take us right up to boxing day :) See where this is going?

26 Days of Christmas — an online, interactive site with 26 pieces of writing, released from behind a window (or similar) on the right day. It’s a fun project, simple, easy and involves a lot of people from 26...

What do you think?

I replied seven minutes later:

BLOODY BRILLIANT.

Love that.

...

Just thought about it again.

LOVE IT. Yes. YES.

What a treat - each day to get a new story.

Maybe with an illustration. So like an advent calendar - the words are the chocolates, then on the back of the window you get an illustration. Or something visual that fits the writing...

Lovely.

So Sam wrote:

That’s it!

Words and pictures for each and every day leading up to Christmas!

So, what’s next?

Next came three months of heads down, emails around the world, asking favours, challenging creative people, writing proposals and briefs, asking more favours, cajoling people, going to meetings, reading stories, editing stories, looking at illustrations, offering feedback, designing a brand, creating a website, writing that website, hosting get-togethers, many many 2am finishes, weekends laptopping.

Next came www.26storiesofchristmas.com. There you'll find a story a day till Boxing Day.

We hope they keep you warm on these chilly days.

Festive wishes

* * *


Well done, Sam. Great idea and so much hard work put in to make it happen. And thanks to Mark, Anna, Rowena and Sarah - without you, we wouldn't be sharing the warmth.