Speaking Stones is a literature project about loneliness as part of Leeuwarden Municipality’s Over the Threshold (Over de Drempel) program.
How does loneliness feel, how does it sound, or smell? Through short stories, Speaking Stones wants to make loneliness sensory and, thus, palpable. Five writers held conversations with people who found themselves immersed in loneliness through various causes. These conversations produced a number of immersive stories. In the center of Leeuwarden, you can hear these stories in the midst of the hustle and bustle of people, since loneliness, too, occurs within people, even when they are surrounded by others.
With your mobile phone, you can see where these stories are located through an online platform and, through them, follow the path of eight Speaking Stones and a meeting bench. Hear the stones speak by scanning the QR-codes placed near them.
Writers Remco Kuiper, Gemale Bofunda, Nicole van den Berg, Raymond Muller and Sytse Jansma participated in the creation of the stories, and artist Ineke van der Blom made the stones and the meeting place.
We cannot totally eradicate loneliness, but we can certainly mean something special to someone in our own social circles and community. Do you want that too? Read all about it here.
Speaking Stones is brought to you by a cooperation between Studio Sytse Jansma, Leeuwarden UNESCO City of Literature and Kunstwerkplaats Ineke van der Blom. Special thanks to: Gemeente Leeuwarden, Over de Drempel, Arcadia, Humanitas Leeuwarden, NHL Stenden Hogeschool and Provincie Fryslân.