Liverpool FC and Japanese Publisher Kodansha Extend Partnership

The letters are obviously important to me given how often I decide to ruin my own life by engaging in this lark that we call ‘creative writing.’ It can feel lonely and isolating but it is also the most natural and rewarding of my creative pursuits.

I’ve also spent a lot of time doing community-oriented work, both in a volunteer and professional capacity, over my adult life. Most of that work being specifically centered on local youth, which opened up multiple avenues in my life: my first full-time job, for example, came because I’d spent the previous four years as a part-time worker at the local youth center. I can draw a direct line between my volunteer youth work and my current job.

So it struck me as quite interesting to learn that what was probably a minor news release yesterday would bring together that particular interest, my passion for community service, and Liverpool FC as the club announced that they would be extending their partnership with Japanese publishing group Kodansha.

Per the club’s release, the partnership would allow Kodansha to continue to work with the club on narrative/creative storytelling. There’s definitely a lot of corporate speak in that the Kodansha will help LFC raise “brand awareness” across the globe.

The community angle comes in the form of a direct link to the LFC Foundation and the development of programs that allow youth to engage in creative storytelling. An added bit of interest for stateside fans is that this partnership will allow for the expansion of the programs to the United States.

Finally, a caveat in the release indicates that Kodansha will now be providing services related to the women’s team, which previously had not been the case prior. Perhaps this is another sign of the team taking steps - albeit small ones - towards truly living up to the ethos of being one club.