Maya laughing at night, holding a sparkler
Maya laughing at night, holding a sparkler
Maya laughing at night, holding a sparkler

Saturday 20 March 2027

Saturday 20 March 2027

The thirtieth birthday

The Glasshouse

Hackney, London

7pm till late

24 letters

30 years

1 long table

Maya is 30

And we wrote

It all down.

Made by Sam and twenty-three others

  • Born 20 March 1997

  • 10,957 days

  • Number one that week: Mama, by the Spice Girls

  • Star sign Pisces

  • Born in Leeds

  • Born 20 March 1997

  • 10,957 days

  • Number one that week: Mama, by the Spice Girls

  • Star sign Pisces

  • Born in Leeds

The scrapbook

Some of us,

on a good day.

Read these before the 20th. Don’t cry. (You will.) — S x

1997

2026

day one!

the loudest laugh in Leeds

1997

the loudest laugh in Leeds

Read these before the 20th. Don’t cry. (You will.) — S x

1997

2026

day one!

the loudest laugh in Leeds

Letters, opened in order

Twenty-four people

wrote

to you.

us, every Friday

Unfold a card to read how it starts. Some are sealed until the day itself.

01

To Maya, from

Sam

Your best friend

Opens on 1 Nov
Sealed

01

To Maya, from

Sam

Your best friend

Opens on 1 Nov
Sealed

02

To Maya, from

Helen

Your mum

Opens on 1 Nov
Sealed

02

To Maya, from

Helen

Your mum

Opens on 1 Nov
Sealed

03

To Maya, from

Priya

School friend, since Year 7

Opens on 1 Nov
Sealed

03

To Maya, from

Priya

School friend, since Year 7

Opens on 1 Nov
Sealed

04

To Maya, from

Esther

Your little sister

Opens on 20 Mar
Sealed

04

To Maya, from

Esther

Your little sister

Opens on 20 Mar
Sealed

05

To Maya, from

Tom

Your desk neighbour at work

Opens on 1 Nov
Sealed

05

To Maya, from

Tom

Your desk neighbour at work

Opens on 1 Nov
Sealed

06

To Maya, from

Joe

Your grandad

Opens on 20 Mar
Sealed

06

To Maya, from

Joe

Your grandad

Opens on 20 Mar
Sealed

Our years

Thirty years,

one drag.

Hands reaching across a long table of shared plates

Sunday lunch, all of us

2026

That year

Turned 29 and planned nothing, so we did

In the photo: Maya, Sam, Priya and Esther

The dance floor under string lights at Jo’s wedding party

Jo’s wedding, as a guest

2019

That year

Gave the best speech of the night (unofficially)

In the photo: Maya, Sam and Priya

A new set of keys hanging by the door on moving day

Moving day, Manchester

2015

That year

Left home for university with eleven boxes

In the photo: Maya and Dad

The festival crowd in front of the stage at sunset

Leeds Festival, front row

2012

That year

Saw her first live gig and lost a shoe

In the photo: Maya, Priya and Jo

Maya and Priya, aged eleven, with their school bags, seen from behind

Year 7, with Priya

2008

That year

Started Year 7 at Park Lane

In the photo: Maya and Priya

Little Maya running towards the sea on a family holiday

Filey, the windiest week

2004

That year

Learned to swim in the North Sea (briefly)

In the photo: Maya, Esther, Mum and Dad

Five-year-old Maya walking to school with her backpack, seen from behind

First day at Ivy Road

2002

That year

Started Reception with a borrowed lunchbox

In the photo: Maya

Baby Maya’s feet peeking out of a white blanket

Day one, Leeds

1997

That year

Born on a snowy Thursday in March

In the photo: Maya, Mum and Dad

1997

2002

2007

2012

2017

2022

2027

Wishes

Hold on, and

make a wish.

30
30

From everyone

More Sunday lunches and fewer Monday meetings.

— Tom

Good health, good tea and a garden of your own.

— Grandad

Everything you wished for when you were seven, and a pony.

— Sam

That you ring your mum on Sundays. And Wednesdays.

— Mum

A long summer with nowhere to be.

— Jo

Front-row tickets, every single time.

— Ben

Another thirty years of borrowing your courage.

— Priya

Your own sofa, finally. Not a grey one.

— Esther

That you finally learn to parallel park.

— Amara

More Sunday lunches and fewer Monday meetings.

— Tom

Another thirty years of borrowing your courage.

— Priya

A long summer with nowhere to be.

— Jo

Everything you wished for when you were seven, and a pony.

— Sam

That you finally learn to parallel park.

— Amara

That you ring your mum on Sundays. And Wednesdays.

— Mum

Good health, good tea and a garden of your own.

— Grandad

Your own sofa, finally. Not a grey one.

— Esther

Front-row tickets, every single time.

— Ben

More Sunday lunches and fewer Monday meetings.

— Tom

That you ring your mum on Sundays. And Wednesdays.

— Mum

Another thirty years of borrowing your courage.

— Priya

Good health, good tea and a garden of your own.

— Grandad

Send your own wish

Short and sweet. Sam adds new wishes to the wall.

The party

Pull up

a chair.

Saturday 20 March 2027

7pm till late

The Glasshouse, Hackney, London

Dress: something you can dance in

Maya

Sam

Helen

Dave

your seat?

Esther

Priya

Tom

Joe

your seat?

Jo

Amara

your seat?

Ben

your seat?

Lucy

Hannah

Rosie

Mia

your seat?

Grace

Olly

your seat?

Nadia

your seat?

Maya

Sam

Helen

Dave

your seat?

Esther

Priya

Tom

Joe

your seat?

Jo

Amara

your seat?

Ben

your seat?

Lucy

Hannah

Rosie

Mia

your seat?

Grace

Olly

your seat?

Nadia

your seat?

See every seat

How the night goes

7:00

Drinks in the garden

8:00

The long table

9:30

Cake and wishes

10:00

Dancing

1:00

Carriages

Save your seat

Please reply by 1 March 2027.

The gift

One big thing,

from all of us.

A weekend in Lisbon, flights and all

The group gift

A weekend in Lisbon, flights and all

Two nights, one very good custard tart and Priya as tour guide. Chip in whatever you like. Sam x

£1,140 of £1,500 · 19 people in

Or something small

The good knives

The good knives

So she stops borrowing Mum’s.

£85

Taken by Priya

A year of Sunday papers

A year of Sunday papers

Delivered, with the crossword left blank.

Gravy lessons with Gran

Gravy lessons with Gran

Three Sundays, one secret recipe.

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