About the Book: A non fictional diary which depicts the 21 days tale of her broken heart during the first wave of pandemic. According to psychology, it has been said that anyone can form their habits by completing a task for 21 days in a row. During the pandemic, being locked within her apartment, she started believing this 21 - day myth to sooth her broken heart and she started to pen down her thoughts every night. Is closure really important in a relationship? - Set against the backdrop of the global pandemic, this is what makes 'Her lockdown diary' so breathtakingly real - a tale from one of the world's amateur storytellers. About the Author: An IT professional living in Brussels since 2018 for her professional work. Her passion for dance, writing stories and poems, vlogging, acting and photography is unparalleled. She has done various dance and drama projects to represent Indian culture with Art India Belgium. In today's digital world, she continued writing stories and poems for an Indian digital platform called “StoryMirror”. She had been a winner of “Women write now” contest and she had been nominated as author of the year of 2020 by StoryMirror. She believes that words are free to be used to explore, to learn, to teach and if we find the right words to write, that's what defines a writer.
A cancelled flight opened a new chapter in Lynne's life. Along with her husband she was 'stranded' on the beautiful island of Corfu, Greece. For the first time in her 75 years, this wife and grandmother of 10 had time to herself. This was a unique period in Lynne's life and a dramatic time in the history of the world. Covid19 was dislocating and destroying the lives of so many people. Against the backdrop of the pandemic Lynne was able to draw positivity and simple pleasures from her beautiful surroundings and, most importantly of all, derive great joy and delight from the local cat population. A review of the book from Dr Lee Durrell: ' This book is about cats, of course, enchanting and extraordinary creatures that they are, each with its own loveable character and temperament. It is also about the magic of Corfu - its profusion of spring wildflowers, melodies of sheep bells and centuries-old traditions. But there is much more going on here. Lynne Sayer’s diary ranges from current global events to deeply personal ones. We hear about covid, Brexit and threats to American democracy, as well as the doings of her children and grandchildren in lockdown England. This is well worth a read as a chronicle of our times….and for cat-lovers everywhere. The modest purchase price goes towards improving the lives of stray cats and kittens in Lynne’s region of Corfu. The book ends with a heartfelt appeal to contribute to the work of Kassiopi Cats Meow, which is “the best way to help the brave little cats”. I, for one, could not resist it! ' Lee Durrell, Corfu, October 2021
An anthology and compilation of short stories, flash fiction, contributions from the 'isolation writers, ' plus poetry written during the time of lockdown in the UK. "A Piece of Living History!"This anthology and compilation is for everyone, wherever you live in the world. We are all experiencing the impact of COVID19 and lockdown. As writers, bloggers and creatives we express our thoughts and opinions in writing: in heartfelt poetry, pieces on isolation and the impact of COVID19 and the 'new normal.' There are twenty eight talented contributors, including the creative NHS Mask Making Fundraising Team of Jane Horwood and Melissa Santiago Val. The contributors come from as far afield as Australia, Canada, USA and Zimbabwe, or closer to my current home in England - in Ireland, Scotland and Italy.It is as Willow Willers, a contributor said, 'A piece of living history.'This extraordinary and unexpected time period will be shared with future generations one day.Compiling and editing this anthology has given me a purpose over the period of Lockdown and for that I am grateful. The book showcases several authors and their thoughts on what it is like to experience 'isolation' as a writer. In the final part of the book I include my latest short story idea: a YA romance and various short pieces of poetry, and flash fiction inspired by the pandemic. The full list of authors and contributors are: Richard Dee, (Sci Fi, Steampunk, Amateur Detective author, ) Catherine Fearns, (Amazon Bestselling Author of Police Procedural/Mysteries and Music Journalist, ) Lynn Fraser, (Author, ) Jackie Carreira, (Writer, musician, designer and aspiring philosopher, ) Willow Willers, (Poet and Writer, ) Sharon Marchisello, (Murder Mystery, Financial non-fiction author, ) Fi Phillips, (Author, Copy Editor, ) Jeannie Wycherley, (Dark stories, Suspense, Horror, ) Chantelle Atkins, (Urban Fiction, Teen/YA, ) Tracie Barton-Barrett, (Speaker/Author, ) Peter Taylor-Gooby, (Crime, Love Stories, Political Fiction, ) Ritu Bhathal, (Chick Lit, Romance, Poet, ) Alice May, (Author, Artist and Speaker, ) Miriam Owen, (Blogger, Doctoral Researcher, ) Drew Neary and Ceri Williams (Ghost Horror, Supernatural, ) Katherine Mezzacappa, (Historical Fiction/Romance, ) Sally Cronin, (Huge supporter of indie community/Blogger/Author) D G Kaye, (Memoirist/NonFiction, ) Adele Marie Park, (Fantasy, Horror, Urban fantasy, ) Marian Wood, (Blogger, Poet and Writer.) Samantha Murdoch, (Writer, Blogger, ) Beaton Mabaso (Blogger, African storyteller, ) Frank Prem (Poet, Author) Anne Goodwin (Author, Book Blogger) Sherri Matthews (Writer, Photographer, Blogger, ) Jane Horwood and Melissa Santiago-Val - Community Masks for The NHS/Sew Positive.PLEASE NOTE - This paperback does not include my personal COVID diaries originally published on the kindle. These are available to read on the kindle version of This Is Lo
“Engaged, intelligent, personal, fast moving and funny.” - Financial Times Life in a Time of Plague is the story of Britain under the first 75 days of its unprecedented Covid-19 lockdown, seen from the author’s rural East Sussex valley home in England. From the refuge of a seemingly idyllic rural idyll, the book monitors in bleak and forensic detail the failure of the Government to protect Britain, and its woeful response at every stage of the pandemic. The author’s age and medical issues colour this diary with a dark humour, as his age group is most at risk. He is determined to make his 70th birthday at least, despite the thousands of deaths in Britain to date. It is a quiet slow appreciation of the bright green spring and summer of 2020 in the English countryside, set against the horrors faced by frontline workers. However, what is most surprising is that amid the death, heartache and economic carnage, there is also a silver lining, a chance to simply stop and stare, and rethink our lives. Julian Roup has produced a podcast series based on 'Life In a Time of Plague'. You can listen to it here - https://iono.fm/c/5264 - first broadcast by BizNews.
A metropolis with a population of about 11 million, Wuhan sits at the crossroads of China. It was here that in the last days of 2019, the first reports of a mysterious new form of pneumonia emerged. Before long, an abrupt and unprecedented lockdown was declared—the first of many such responses to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world. This book tells the dramatic story of the Wuhan lockdown in the voices of the city’s own people. Using a vast archive of more than 6,000 diaries, the sociologist Guobin Yang vividly depicts how the city coped during the crisis. He analyzes how the state managed—or mismanaged—the lockdown and explores how Wuhan’s residents responded by taking on increasingly active roles. Yang demonstrates that citizen engagement—whether public action or the civic inaction of staying at home—was essential in the effort to fight the pandemic. The book features compelling stories of citizens and civic groups in their struggle against COVID-19: physicians, patients, volunteers, government officials, feminist organizers, social media commentators, and even aunties loudly swearing at party officials. These snapshots from the lockdown capture China at a critical moment, revealing the intricacies of politics, citizenship, morality, community, and digital technology. Presenting the extraordinary experiences of ordinary people, The Wuhan Lockdown is an unparalleled account of the first moments of the crisis that would define the age.
The New York Times Bestseller From the acclaimed author of Garden Spells comes an enchanting tale of lost souls, lonely strangers, secrets that shape us, and how the right flock can guide you home. Down a narrow alley in the small coastal town of Mallow Island, South Carolina, lies a stunning cobblestone building comprised of five apartments. It’s called The Dellawisp and it is named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy. When Zoey Hennessey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment at The Dellawisp, she meets her quirky, enigmatic neighbors including a girl on the run, a grieving chef whose comfort food does not comfort him, two estranged middle-aged sisters, and three ghosts. Each with their own story. Each with their own longings. Each whose ending isn’t yet written. When one of her new neighbors dies under odd circumstances the night Zoey arrives, she is thrust into the mystery of The Dellawisp, which involves missing pages from a legendary writer whose work might be hidden there. She soon discovers that many unfinished stories permeate the place, and the people around her are in as much need of healing from wrongs of the past as she is. To find their way they have to learn how to trust each other, confront their deepest fears, and let go of what haunts them. Delightful and atmospheric, Other Birds is filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go. Sarah Addison Allen shows us that between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways.
An elegiac illumination of personal and political histories misremembered and censored, There Is Still Singing In The Afterlife is animated by the intimate language of spirits-living, loved, and gone-singing to us from the hereafter. A poet of deep noticing, JinJin Xu interrogates the nature of witness and memory, taking seriously the consequence of confession in a foreign land, in a language not her own. Xu grapples with a forbidden language-blending the lyric with confession and erasure to sing the unspeakable, to open our eyes to seek the light. This is a stellar debut from a poet you should watch out for.
Through stories at once poetic and poignant, There Is Nothing So Whole as a Broken Heart offers a powerful elixir for all who rebel against systemic violence and injustice. The contemporary renewal of Jewish anarchism draws on a history of suffering, ranging from enslavement and displacement to white nationalism and genocide. Yet it also pulls from ancestral resistance, strength, imagination, and humor—all qualities, and wisdom, sorely needed today. These essays, many written from feminist and queer perspectives, journey into ancestral and contemporary trauma in ways that are humanizing and healing. They build bridges from bittersweet grief to rebellion and joy. Through concrete illustrations of how Jewish anarchists imaginatively create their own ritual, cultural, and political practices, they clearly illuminate the path toward mending ourselves and the world.
