Chinese Whisperings is a conceptual anthology created by Australian writer Jodi Cleghorn and Scottish writer Paul Anderson. Each anthology is a collection of interwoven short stories by emerging writers from across the English-speaking world. Unlike other anthologies, Chinese Whisperings is created in a sequential fashion.

The Red Book, the first of the anthologies to be produced through Chinese Whisperings, has each successive writer taking a minor character from the preceding story and telling their story as the major character in the next story. Each writer also references events from the preceding story to tie the ten stories together.

The Concept

“Sliding Doors meets Choose Your Own Adventure meets Run Lola Run”

The concept was born after Cleghorn, fresh from a stint as a magazine editor, realised writing was never going to be enough for her – she had to publish as well. As a regular reader of Write Anything she had networked with, and got to know, a number of writers whose work she enjoyed. She decided to invite other writers to join her to publish an anthology of their work. But she understood her project needed a hook, or a twist, to stand out from the hundreds of other anthologies on the market.

“In 2007 I wanted to write my National Novel Writing Month project through the eyes of numerous different characters, but I was new to writing and didn’t have the confidence I could pull off something with so many characters and intricacies,” says Cleghorn. “I am fascinated by the potential which every interaction has to change the course or impact another’s life. I wondered if it was possible for ten writers to unite and write the lives of ten characters whose lives crossed in small and large ways.”

Late one Friday night, Cleghorn was talking with Anderson via Facebook and asked him if her idea was crazy enough to work.

“Jodi and I had been kicking around ideas about publishing and short stories for a few months, so we were both used to crazy ideas,” says Anderson. “I remembered what she’d been considering for NaNoWriMo, and thought it was a fantastic idea. My answer was an instant ‘yes’.”

On the strength of the (then unnamed) Chinese Whisperings concept, Cleghorn and Anderson launched themselves into an unlikely transcontinental publishing partnership, which has grown several other publishing ideas. In late 2008 they decided to return to the Chinese Whisperings idea and have spent most of 2009 growing the idea, gathering writers, pulling together the first anthology and putting in time at their day jobs.

The Name

Chinese Whisperings (or Telephone as it is known in other parts of the world) is a game which involves a “secret” being passed by whisper from player to player.

“It seemed to aptly display what our concept was about – one writer telling their story to another, and how the story morphs and changes as it goes around the circle,” said Cleghorn. “Our writers are not being asked to tell the same story over and over again, yet they seem to be telling similarly themed stories which Paul and I are really excited about. Showing there is more than one way to Chinese Whisper!”

Learn more about the Chinese Whisperings books and the process of selecting writers.