CHALLENGE
Ashinaga set out to create a poetry anthology that would unite students from around the world through themes of education and empowerment. The challenge was not only to curate meaningful work from diverse voices, but also to present it in a way that equally honored both English and Japanese readers.
The project required a format that could hold two languages with equal presence, not as translations secondary to one another, but as parallel experiences. Additionally, the anthology needed to visually reflect the emotional depth of the poetry while remaining cohesive as a single publication.
SOLUTION
The result was It All Started With Letters, a 180-page anthology featuring 42 poems. The book was designed with a dual-reading format:
- English can be read left to right.
- Japanese can be read right to left.
- Each language begins from opposite sides of the book.
- A unified indexing system connects both sections seamlessly.
To further amplify the emotional resonance of the poems, artwork created by students supported by Ashinaga accompanies the text. The book was risograph printed in Japan, bringing a tactile, vibrant quality to the publication, and developed in collaboration with Clementine Maas.
RESULTS
It All Started With Letters became more than a poetry collection, it became a physical embodiment of unity.
By merging two languages within one cohesive structure and showcasing student-created artwork, the anthology reflects Ashinaga’s mission of global connection and empowerment. The final publication stands as a cross-cultural, collaborative work that gives students a shared platform and equal voice across borders.
