When Trinidadian writer and performer Anissa J. Charles speaks about her debut book The Bridge Between 25 and 30, her words carry the weight of lived experience. She describes the years that inspired it as a place of transition, a crossing where you are no longer who you once were, yet not fully the person you hope to become. It was in this space of uncertainty, joy, heartbreak and discovery that she found the material that shaped her first published collection.
Charles explains that much of the book comes directly from her own journey, intertwined with conversations she had with friends who were wrestling with similar feelings. There were moments of grief, including the loss of a mentor and maternal figure, Dr Leah Brown, alongside the laughter and companionship that sustained them. Writing became her way of processing what it means to step into adulthood while still questioning whether she was moving in the right direction. The result is a work that is deeply personal yet strikingly universal, offering readers a reminder that they are not alone as they navigate their own seasons of change.
For Charles, the period between 25 and 30 deserved its own book precisely because it is often overlooked, despite being one of the most defining stretches of a person’s life. It is the time when responsibility weighs heavily, careers and relationships begin to take shape, and questions about identity sharpen into focus. She recalls the feeling of standing on a bridge, looking back at what had already passed while straining to see what lay ahead. “Between 25 and 30, many of us are making huge decisions about careers, relationships, family and even who we truly are outside of other people’s expectations,” she says. “It’s pivotal because it’s a time of both pressure and possibility.”
Although her perspective is rooted in Trinidad and Tobago, Charles insists the book is not written solely for young women or Caribbean readers. Instead, she wrote with her circle of friends in mind, drawing on the nights they cried together, the endless days of laughter, and even the silences that stretched across years of distance before they found their way back to one another. In that sense, the book is an invitation to anyone who has felt the push and pull of change, the cracks and repairs in relationships, and the challenge of holding on to community while growing into oneself.
Among the lessons that she believes will resonate most strongly is the idea that feeling stuck is not a failure but often a sign of growth. She recalls writing a poem about watching her classmates graduate while she remained behind. In that moment she felt she was crossing the bridge alone, left behind while others moved forward. With time she came to see that her path was simply unfolding at a different pace. It is a truth that she hopes readers in their twenties will embrace, resisting the urge to measure themselves against others and instead trusting their own timing.
Charles credits her identity as a Trinidadian woman with shaping the rhythm of her voice and the themes of her writing. Trinidad and Tobago, she says, is a place of resilience and community, where music, laughter, food and Carnival spirit coexist with hardship, loss and the need to rebuild. That duality runs through the collection, which celebrates joy without flinching from grief or uncertainty. Her perspective is further influenced by the sisterhoods and friendships that have carried her, allowing her to balance strength with vulnerability in her poetry and spoken word.
Writing about such personal terrain was not without its challenges. Charles admits that revisiting some experiences was painful and occasionally left her in a dark space. Yet she also recognises that without that process she would not have been able to close the book with a chapter about accepting joy. The balance between heaviness and healing gave the collection its texture. On a practical level, she also confronted the steep learning curve of editing and publishing for the first time. She now views that experience as preparation for her next project, a foundation built through trial and persistence.
What she hopes above all is that the book encourages conversations about the in-between seasons of life. Too often, she says, people share only their successes or their lowest points, leaving unspoken the messy middle where uncertainty, self-doubt and quiet grief live. She envisions readers sitting with friends, partners or even strangers, using a poem as the spark for honest dialogue. In her view, recognising that others are also struggling or rebuilding can be a powerful act of community in itself.
Asked what she would say to someone just turning 25, Charles offers a simple piece of advice: give yourself grace. Do not expect to have everything figured out. Instead, allow space for discovery, for mistakes, and for the slow work of building a meaningful life. She urges readers not to compare their path with anyone else’s, but to trust the process and find joy even in the smallest moments along the way.
Beyond her writing, Charles has built a career that blends creativity with cultural advocacy. A graduate of the University of Trinidad and Tobago’s Academy of the Performing Arts, she has been active in theatre and music since 2010, serving as a stage manager, performer, writer and director. She co-produced and co-directed the theatrical production A Baby Doll and has contributed to concerts and festivals across the country. In 2024 she was elected Student Guild President at UTT, a role that highlighted her commitment to leadership and student advocacy. She is now pursuing a Master’s in Carnival Arts, furthering her research and engagement with the cultural heritage of Trinidad and Tobago. She is also the founder of A.R.K. (An Act of Random Kindness) Foundation, an NGO focused on outreach and community upliftment.
The publication of The Bridge Between 25 and 30 marks her debut as an author, but it is clear that the work belongs to a much larger tapestry of creative and social engagement. Already featured on national platforms such as CNC3’s The Morning Brew, Charles continues to expand her reach while keeping her focus grounded in connection, honesty and the pursuit of shared meaning. In offering her words to readers across the world, she extends the same invitation she gave to her friends: to walk together across the bridge, to admit the struggles of the in-between, and to trust that there is joy to be found on the other side.
