‘We will get in trouble for this.’
‘What’s the alternative? To whitewash the mess humanity finds itself in? Look, we might upset more people. But going by myself, I’d rather someone finally has the guts to spell out what’s going on, then get in line with some sort of appeasement and treating people like idiots or like fragile dolls.’
book 4, building, part 1: campaigns
book 4, building, published chapters online
- PRELUDE, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // PRELUDE // 17 February // ‘DEAD,’ Megan called against the storm and rose to her feet.Anthony…
- BREATHE, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // BREATHE // 17 February // Alice took a deep breath in and, counting, a slow breath out,…
- DAY 39, THE STARTING LINEeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 39, THE STARTING LINE // 21 February // || day 39 || 21 February ||…
- DAY 38, SECLUSION, book 4easy town books // book 4, building // DAY 38, SECLUSION // 22 February // || days 38-37 || 22-23 February || Seclusion &…
- DAY 37, REACTIONS, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 37, REACTIONS // 23 February // The next morning, Dennie (security) read aloud: ‘“Queen blackmailed?”’…
- day 36, press conference, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 36, PRESS CONFERENCE & FIRST INTERACTIONS // 24 February // || days 36-33 || 24-27…
- DAY 35, MEETINGS & A PARTYeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 35, MEETINGS & A PARTY // 25 February // Thanks to Rohana, Alice had presents…
- DAY 34, PARTY REACTIONS, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 34, PARTY REACTIONS // 26 February // The next morning greeted the project team with…
- DAY 33, RUMOURS, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 33, RUMOURS // 27 February // The next day, the frequent-speakers group, consisting of Alice,…
- DAY 32, THE JELLYBRIDGE ESTATE, book 4, buildingeasy town books book 4, building // DAY 32, THE JELLYBRIDGE ESTATE // 28 February // || days 32-31 || 28 February – 1…
- DAY 31, JELLYBRIDGE and CAMPAIGNS, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 31, JELLYBRIDGE & CAMPAIGNS // 1 March // ie next morning, one newspaper’s headline read:…
- DAY 30, LAWSUITS, NARRATIVES and SIMULATIONSeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 30, LAWSUITS, NARRATIVES & SIMULATIONS // 2 March // || days 30-20 || 2-12 March…
- DAY 29, FACES, FEET and the MAYOR OF LONDON, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 29, FACES, FEET and the MAYOR OF LONDON // 3 March // The next morning…
- DAY 28, THE PRIME MINISTER, HONESTY, TROUBLE & a PARTY, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 28, THE PRIME MINISTER, HONESTY, TROUBLE & a PARTY // 4 March // The next…
- DAY 27, KIDS HOUR, THE QUEEN, THE MAYOR OF LONDON & a CRISIS, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 27, KIDS HOUR, THE QUEEN, THE MAYOR OF LONDON & a CRISIS // 5 March…
- DAY 26, ATTACKS & PING PONG, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 26, ATTACKS & PING PONG // 6 March // The next morning, Any, head of…
- DAY 25, A RADIO SHOW WITH SURPRISES, and the mayor of London, again, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 25, A RADIO SHOW WITH SURPRISES, and the mayor of London, again // 7 March…
- DAY 24, MILLIONAIRES BOOT CAMP, NO PLASTIC DAY & THE HOUSE OF PARLIAMENTeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 24, MILLIONAIRES BOOT CAMP, NO PLASTIC DAY & THE HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT // 8 March…
- DAY 23, TEETH WELFARE & YOUR POWERS, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 23, TEETH WELFARE & YOUR POWERS // 9 March // By the next morning, however,…
- DAY 22, MEDICINE, TECH, LAW, WAR & NARRATIVES, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 22, MEDICINE, TECH, LAW, WAR & NARRATIVES // 10 March // At twenty minutes past…
- DAY 21/20, BODY LOVE, EDUCATION, TRUE POWER IS IN CREATION, CRAFTS DAY, CONNECTIONS DAY, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 21/20, BODY LOVE, EDUCATION, TRUE POWER IS IN CREATION, CRAFTS DAY, CONNECTIONS DAY and the…
- DAY 20, AT JELLYBRIDGE, TOWN PLANNING, UNDERGROUND TOWN & TRANSPORT, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 20, AT JELLYBRIDGE, TOWN PLANNING, UNDERGROUND TOWN & TRANSPORT This is the second part of…
- DAY 19, TAKING A DEEP BREATH, PROTESTS, POLITICIANS, COEXISTING WITH NATURE, REGIONAL MAYORS, EMPOWERMENT, IMMIGRATION, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 19, TAKING A DEEP BREATH, PROTESTS, POLITICIANS, COEXISTING WITH NATURE, REGIONAL MAYORS, EMPOWERMENT, IMMIGRATION //…
- day 19, add-on, STRESS FACTORS, TOURISM, WHAT ACTION TO TAKE?easy town books // book 4, building // DAY 19, add-on: STRESS FACTORS, TOURISM, WHAT ACTION TO TAKE? This is a report by a…
- DAY 18, FUCKING DIRT and MORE UPROAReasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 18, FUCKING DIRT and MORE UPROAR // 14 March // This night Alice got a…
- day 17, UNHAPPY MORNING, ANOTHER MARCH, BACK IN PARLIAMENT, A SCOTTISH MP ON ISLANDS & TREASURES, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 17, MORNING BLUES, ANOTHER MARCH, BACK IN PARLIAMENT, A SCOTTISH MP ON ISLANDS & TREASURES,…
- DAY 16, THE LONELINESS DAY, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 16, THE LONELINESS DAY // 16 March // LONELINESS. Loneliness is a logical consequence of…
- DAY 15, DIGGING DEEPER DAY, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 15, DIGGING DEEPER DAY // 17 March // Friday morning. DIGGING DEEPER. ‘Have you ever…
- DAY 14, THE CHALLENGE DAY, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 14, THE CHALLENGE DAY // 18 March // CHALLENGES. At two minutes past seven, Jazz,…
- DAY 13, COLLABORATION DAY, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 13, COLLABORATION DAY // 19 March // COLLABORATIONS DAY. You can build a sandcastle on…
- DAY 12, SPRING SPECIALSeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 12, SPRING SPECIALS // 20 March // || days 12-11 || 20-21 March || Spring.…
- DAY 11, ENDING THE WAR AGAINST OURSELVES, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 11, ENDING THE WAR AGAINST OURSELVES, book 4, building // 21 March // ENDING THE…
- DAY 10, YOUR STRENGTH IS MY STRENGTH, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 10, YOUR STRENGTH IS MY STRENGTH // 22 March // || days 10-8 || 22-24…
- DAY 9, FOCUS, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 9, FOCUS // 23 March // FOCUS. ‘Focus,’ Alice mumbled to herself when she called…
- DAY 8, WRAPPING THE CAMPAIGNS, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 8, WRAPPING THE CAMPAIGNS // 24 March // Early the next morning, Jack knocked on…
- DAY 7, BODY & SEXUALITY, book 4, buildingeasy town books // book 4, building // DAY 7, BODY & SEXUALITY // 25 March // (Saturday, 7 days left, focus: BODY &…
Download
Special edition 1
book 4, building
PRELUDE TO DAY 33
Before the start of the campaigns
pdf-file // 34k words
Download
Special edition 2
book 4, building
DAY 32 TO DAY 25
The first week of campaigns
pdf-file // 21k words
Download
Special edition 3
book 4, building
DAY 24 TO DAY 17
The second week of campaigns
pdf-file // 25k words
Download
Special edition 4
book 4, building
DAY 16 TO DAY 8
The third week of campaigns
pdf-file // 52k words
CAMPAIGNS FOR OUR FUTURE
book 4, building, specials on this website
The finale is coming
In book 4, building, part 1, a diverse team of visionaries and experts have 39 days to convince the British government and the British public to let them build a town from scratch and to run the town as an experiment for twelve years. Their aim is to find out what kind of environment would allow humans to thrive and the planet to recover.
So far, their research suggests nothing short of rethinking everything: from the way humans build, learn, communicate to rethinking economic and political systems and pretty much everything in between. In order to make their case for the town, the team organise major campaigns which aim at engaging the British public in discourses about the future prospects of humanity and the planet, and with that they hope to win the public’s support for the town project.
What started as a few ideas for campaigns and a lot of politics in the British Parliament, when I began to write book 4, soon became a large collection of ideas for CAMPAIGNS FOR OUR FUTURE.
Why CAMPAIGNS FOR OUR FUTURE? Because these campaigns allow us to come together and to think and shape together. More, these campaigns allow us to experience what we might need and how we might work together – and have fun with it.
I decided to publish a first draft of book 4, building, chapter by chapter and online to make the ideas quickly available. It didn’t all go as quickly as I had planned but by now, only the last week is missing, the finale.
While I’d promised myself not to be too strict with myself so that the ideas can get out and can be used, I find that the final week does require some more care and time. Therefore, I presently focus on completing all chapters and more of the additional material.
If things go well, you’ll hear more from me before February is out.
Charlie Alice Raya, 31 January 2026
‘How deep should we dig?‘
‘As deep as it takes to get to the roots of what made us shape a world which is blindly stumbling into self-destruction.‘
book 4, building, part 1: campaigns
easy town books
rethinking – well, everything
The easy town story
The overall story of the easy town books is simple: a town experiment is planned in several stages, the town is built, the town gets into trouble, and some of the main characters mess things up.
But eventually, the town emerges as an intriguing model on all counts: society, economy, environment and governance.
The single stories are more complex and include everything from digging deep into the big questions of our time to adventures, love stories, conflicts, traumata, teamwork, attacks and a lot more.
Maybe more importantly, this story illustrates ideas which might be worth testing in the real world for a real future.
What to expect?
An exploration into what is and what could be, filled with questions, ideas, visions and proposals.
The books are an invitation for everyone to rethink what it is we are doing to ourselves, to our fellow humans and to our planet – in a way that always leaves room for playfulness, humour and the odd adventure.
No matter who you are: a nurse, architect, business manager, craftsperson, doctor, admin person, scientist, programmer, homeless person, town planner, entrepreneur, ecologist, journalist, billionaire, landscape architect, artist, politician, activist, film maker, photographer, philosopher, designer, adventurer, in short a human, you will find ample inspirations, thoughts and questions of interest to you.
‘What I’d like to propose is to build a town from scratch and run it as an experiment. In the experiment, we would treat every aspect of life as a variable, as something we can put to the test, as something we can adjust until it makes more sense than our present systems. We would question every theory we know. We would question how we do business, how patients are treated, how the town is composed in terms of people, businesses, educational and cultural offers, or its layout. And we would try to find out whether we can’t do better if we use our imagination, and hang our complacency in the closet.’
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 1, beginning
The easy town books
The easy town story is split into 12 books. Some books come in several parts. So far book 1, beginning, book 2, travelling and the first two parts of book 3, shaping have been published.
Presently all books are available on this website since I boycott big tech. I apologise for the inconvenience, but the easy town story really is about rethinking everything and that includes how we do business and how we deal with each other.
You can continue to scroll down to see the first books or you jump to the overview page for all books and take a tour through the entire story >
book 1, beginning
book 1, beginning
and drafting a town experiment
by Charlie Alice Raya
Alice Adler, a Berliner, sets out to convince the US billionaire Tom Holbon to build a town experiment. The aim of the experiment is to rethink — well, everything.
‘I hope he’s curious enough to take a walk with me through the ideas. And I hope he’s sensible enough to mull over the ideas before taking any decisions.’
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 1, beginning
book 2, travelling
book 2,
travelling
and we (still) need to talk about sex
by Charlie Alice Raya
Travelling around the world, Alice and her team build an international network for the Easy Town Project.
Travelling with them are the past, personal demons and unwittingly the issue of sex.
‘How is Alice?’ Anthony asked when he and Jazz went for a break in the morning, coffee cups and wrapped sandwiches in their hands.
‘I think she’ll be okay. She’s not afraid to talk, or to analyse what happened. That’s good. Though, she has more things to untangle from her past than I expected.’
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 2/1, travelling, San Francisco
If you are fed up with how the world is run, then book 3, shaping, is a perfect book to get into a thorough and practical rethinking mode while immersing yourself in an intense story.
This book boosts thinking, fighting spirits, visions, inspirations and encourages us to shape our future. This is our planet. This is our life.
book 3, shaping
Charlie Alice Raya
book 3, shaping
The first day alone is packed with encounters of all vibes, allowing the reader to dive straight into the heart of the town project and also into the hearts of some of the main characters.
Book 3 will be published in three parts. Parts 1 & 2 are available and part 3 is likely to come out in April.
‘True power — if you think about God — true power is in creation, not in destruction, oppression or tyranny. A true and powerful leader will create not destroy.’
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 3, shaping
book 4, building
Charlie Alice Raya
book 4, building
Tom is angry. Everyone acts as if building the town is a certainty even though so far they only have half a deal. Just a few days ago, he told Alice: ‘Don’t you know that you haven’t won yet? The town will never be built unless the government agrees, or unless you forego the experiment.’
‘I know.’
‘You know how people tend to say: “But who will pay for all this?” I thought about it, and I came to the conclusion that from now on my response will be: “So long as you find the money for subsidies, state receptions, the entertainment industry, the military, or for bribes for political and economical gain, and for all the other kinds of ambiguous expenses, I will not think about this question again.” And I might add: “Probable fun fact: if we build our town and do a good job with our experiments, then many government expenses won’t be necessary any more.”’
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 4/1, building
Where to buy my books?
The watcher is a reminder that humans will only progress if and when they strive to understand what it is they are doing, and when they ask themselves why they are doing it.
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 2/2, travelling
I boycott Amazon & Co and while I love & buy printed books, I’m still reluctant to have my books printed until we have set up a books station network, ripples publishing and pepper books to ensure a highly sustainable way of printing & trading books outside of the still common profit driven markets.
In the meantime you can get my e-books via this website.
Charlie Alice Raya easy town books >
Via the platform Patreon via destop >
The Patreon app charges a lot more.
Via an annual subscription to my Substack newsletter IT’S OUR WORLD, which will give you immediate access to all my published books, and later also to upcoming books.
If you are the owner of an independent bookshop, I’m happy to offer e-books via your website and list you on this website & mention you on Bluesky.
Find an overview of all easy town books here: books by Charlie Alice Raya
Find out more about book stations here >
Find out more about ripples publishing & pepper books here >
About the author
Someone once said to me that she had never met a person who encompassed so many contradictions. I think the remark was partly about me being very strong and occasionally disappointing her because I am also a human who carries quite a few scares.
I like the thought of contradictions, of acknowledging all we can be and all we are. Which reminds me of a quote from book 3/2, shaping:
‘Unfortunately,’ she added, ‘my past is quite a downer. But what helps me is to remind myself to be all I am — and nothing I am not.’
Rose smiled a little. ‘To be alive, kicking and dancing, and laughing.’
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 3, shaping
Unfortunately, I didn’t ask her what she meant. I was very young back then. Very young. That makes me chuckle. I never think in terms of getting older, but I always look back and shake my head about how terribly young I was in my twenties, thirties, forties. I felt so grown up, especially in my twenties. How little I knew. At least, I had already read Socrates, the Apology, and knew something about what I don’t know. But still, I was so young. And yet, I am not a bit old now. A bit wiser, maybe. But mostly, I am just me, age doesn’t feature. But there is a sense of extension. The child in me is wide awake and so is the adventurer, though he is ageless and yes, he is male. Then there is the wise old woman. I don’t think she has fully materialised, but her seeds are in me.
I have to laugh. The above sounds so mythic, but I’m not at all a spiritual person and I don’t believe in gods. Mind you, they might exist, but they clearly have no interest in humanity. As for the universe, I sometimes wonder whether it plays a game with me, the universe or fate – but if either do, then I’d like a word in private. I sometimes joke: if fate has anything to do with my life, then fate is a bastard.
Mind you, I am stubborn enough, and I have all those contradictions which enrich my world. I will keep going.
Maybe, I shouldn’t write these texts in the evenings, I can never get quite serious at this time of the night.
You see, I have a playful, life-loving soul, a curious, rarely resting mind and a body that says I’ve been sitting too long, today.
And then there is my dedication to explore how we can do better, for ourselves, for our fellow humans and for our planet.
You can find out more about me here about the author page >
Have a great evening, morning, day, wherever you are.
Charlie Alice Raya, 24 March 2025
‘At its core the Easy Town experiment is about being curious, about trying out visions, about exploring and playing around with ideas, testing the limits of the possible, daring to try out the unconventional, questioning the inevitable, allowing for complexity.’
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 1, beginning
More news
including from the other Charlie Alice Raya projects
Overviews
The easy town story is the source of many ideas, projects, questions, thoughts and by now there are 14 websites for the various ideas online, there is more in planning and still more, waiting to be considered.
I built the Charlie Alice Raya website as the hub for all ideas, books, offers, challenges and more: charlie-alice-raya.org
There you can also find an overview of all 14 websites.
Which isn’t to say that there are good reasons to stay on this website where you can dive into the easy town books and find a lot of background information, plus some of my photographic work.
universe
When I returned to work in autumn 2024 after a long period of recovery, I brought some new projects and books. The end of all wars is one of those, and the first book of that series was published on September 2024.
Find out more on the website the-end-of-all-wars.net
breastless
breastless is another new project and deals with overwork, cancer, gender and other trifles.
Find out more on the website: breastless.net
book 3, shaping
Buy the complete book 3, shaping.
- part 1: arrivals & shaping
- part 2: entanglements & silence
- part 3: where do we go from here & decisions
Go all in books 1-3
Buy all published easy town books: book 1, beginning (1 book), book 2, travelling (2 books) and book 3, shaping (3 books).
And yes, book 4, building, will be published in four books. But books 5-8 are likely to be single books.
Get in touch
Get in touch via this form or write directly to contact@easy-town-books.com
Emails will be answered within 72 hours whenever possible.
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