New anthology shares COVID stories

The brainchild of two Open University (OU) senior lecturers, Narratives of COVID is an anthology that shares the pandemic experiences of 30 contributors.

The narratives highlight experiences from frontline workers, children, to those experiencing several deaths within their family. Their experiences showing a lot of diversity in terms of what people went through during this period.

With the full impact of COVID-19 still far from being understood, editors Erica Borgstrom and Sharon Mallon bring together the poetry, essays and intimate reflections of their selected authors. Presented in a format that enables readers to ‘dip in and dip out’ of the sections that most resonate, this unique work also provides the opportunity, time and space for readers to explore and reflect upon their own personal pandemic journeys.

The book’s team said they wanted to provide an opportunity to share the emotions of its contributors, captured at a time when lockdowns were still a part of everyday life, as well as to reflect upon change.

The book brings together narrative responses from Open University students, staff and alumni around the world, to document a powerful set of reflections of the impact of COVID on individuals and wider society.

Through poems, written reflections, and short research pieces, the edited collection demonstrates how COVID-19 brought losses, death, and changes to everyday life on personal, community, and global scales.

Narratives of COVID is available in paperback and Kindle format on Amazon