About

Postcodes are utterly functional, yet naturally intriguing.

Every address in the UK has one. But their bland mix of numbers and letters can lead us to something much more than a point on a map.

To an inquisitive mind, a humble postcode is strangely alluring, a secret code. What else might it reveal to a curious traveller with pen and notebook in hand?

We thought we’d find out.

26 is a diverse group of people who share a love of words, in business and in life. We are a curious lot.

We paired 26 of our members with 26 carefully selected postcodes. Then we asked them each to visit their postcode – either literally, or in their imaginations – and return inspired to write a sestude, that’s exactly 62 words of prose or poetry.

We also asked them to tell us the story behind the sestude. How was their journey? What did they learn – perhaps about their postcode, or their writing process, or themselves?

This website gathers together the results of these creative excursions. We’re adding one new sestude each week.

What did we discover? Perhaps it is this. A good writer can find inspiration anywhere. Just pick a postcode.

Enjoy and share.

 

Oh, and big thanks to all of the writers who took part in the project. And special love to those behind the scenes who made it happen: Heather Atchison, Neil Baker, Stephen Barnaby, Rishi Dastidar, Sophie Gordon, Dan Headey, Kirsten Irving, Rachel Marshall and Meg Carter.