Two years after the first UK lockdown, writers Shamini Sriskandarajah and Elodie Barnes reflect on how the restrictions (and opportunities) of Covid-19 have altered and shaped their creative practices.
In her audio poem, ‘A Friendship Lost’, Lolly Spindler recalls the abrupt end to an important relationship and the feelings of shock, loss and loneliness that ensued.
In her poem, actor and poet Anna McKelvie cleverly employs the metaphor of a boat at sea to express the difficulties, uncertainty and camaraderie experienced during the pandemic. Here, friendship triumphs over troubled waters.
In this poetic record of responses to her close friend and collaborator, Polly Constance captures the broken forms of contact and socially distanced care many of us have encountered during lockdown.
In this compelling personal essay, Shamini Sriskandarajah recounts a year of trying to connect with friends over text, email, phone and post; of having to explain racism to one white friend and denounce violent sexism to another.
Sharp, witty and poignant, Jess Moody’s short fiction imagines the encounters and relationships that could have been enjoyed and nurtured were it not for lockdown.
In this heartfelt personal essay, artist Janyce Denise Glasper recalls the years of solid friendship she’s shared and enjoyed with writer Asia Aneka Anderson, the Angela Davis to her Toni Morrison.
In her film, artist Georgia Gardner reflects on her experience of learning and participating in movement workshops via Zoom, and how the transition from physical space to a virtual one creates new selves and connections.
During her daily walks, Sammy Weaver has found connection with birds, bats and lichen. Here, she considers how Covid-19 allows for friendship and kinship with those who are ‘more-than-human’.
When her friend experienced the loss of a loved one, Alizah Hashmi was unsure how best to console her. In this personal essay, she reflects on how her friend’s loss helped her to realise that grief is unquantifiable, “infinite” and often comes without words.
Johanna Robinson’s flash fiction, ‘The Composition of Us’, celebrates friendship between women – the joy, tears, late night talks and parties experienced before the pandemic and now in lockdown, online.
As someone who was already fighting a life-threatening illness, Tomilyn Hannah was familiar with difficulties of social distancing and self-isolation. But lockdown gave her an opportunity to encounter the kindness of strangers, make new friends and be part of a new community.
