Life in the Time of Corona
LIFE IN THE TIME OF CORONA
An Anthology of Short Stories written in Lockdown 2020
In early 2020 much of the world went into Lockdown as a means of dealing with Covid-19. This created a new situation for many people - separated by distance; connected by ideas and relationships, new and old.
This anthology of short stories shares the experiences, dreams and fevered-creations of writers from Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Morocco, who have been living in Lockdown. The stories are presented in all manner of formats – fictional narrative, biography, sci-fi hypothetical, historical fiction, poetry – and cover all sorts of topics. Limited only by the writers’ imaginations and a link to this Time of Coronavirus.
Mel Hall writes of the characters - loneliness and contentment – who co-exist in isolation, and how they share their self-enclosed world with a shaggy intruder. Naomi Shippen, in several short works, observes the fundamental changes in her life, and to the world she sees around her. Min Chow writes of the struggles of maintaining life and familial bonds, through the eyes of a child. Steve Matthewman presents ‘John’, an American tech billionaire who can see the writing on the wall in the US and retreats to a bunker in countryside New Zealand. Benzahra Mustapha takes us into the life of Mohamed, a Moroccan worker, who makes a generous donation of his own. Christopher Alan Smith makes comparisons with another plague that comes to the shores of Iceland in centuries past. Rosie Abbott shares with us the joys and tribulations of her time in Lockdown, showing the importance of friends, wine and her cat. Anne-Marie Smith highlights the technological adaption we all must make, as she ventures into the online world. C. Hounsell writes of the loneliest whale in the World, and how it struggles to find someone to hear its song in the Ocean. K. Rarahuri remembers her mum from a time of grief and passing. Lynn Raynor focuses on the life-and-death decision made by a waiting swordsman in the forest, as he contemplates the future. Jahin Tanvir’s character remembers a journey taken in the past, and a gift shared and treasured in social-isolation. E.L Borba presents Marvin, an uber-driver in South Auckland NZ, who needs five stars on his review. Olivia G. shares the uneasiness and fear that intrudes into the bonds of community and neigbourhood. Julia Gurry (and Mother Nature) take the reader on a poetical/musical trip through 2020, chock-full of pop-culture and political references.
An amazing collection of stories, fascinating in their breadth and depth. Please join us in appreciating the work and imagination of these writers!
