A simple story about that tried-and-tested method of connecting people from different countries and cultures: town twinning. In this case, Timbuktu (or Tombouctou in French) in Mali has been twinned with Hay-on-Wye in Wales. Visitors from Timbuktu to Hay-on-Wye are being greeted by local schoolchildren singing both Malian and Welsh national anthems. How sweet! It's not clear whether any of the schoolchildren will be on the return visit to Timbuktu scheduled for early 2008. Interestingly, both towns have a literary profile - Hay is knows as 'the town of books' with over 30 bookshops and an annual literature festival, whilst by the 14th Century Timbuktu had become a major centre for the writing and distribution of books across Africa. Wow. What a great thing to have in common.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
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