Since the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic in March 2020, people in every part of the world encountered many troubling events. We were in and out of lockdowns. We experienced personal difficulties related to health, finances, and the stresses of working from home, on the frontlines in the community, or for not having work at all.

We witnessed the necessity of social interaction for our own mental health and for that of our children who spent months without the company of their schoolmates. Communities struggled with deep political and societal issues, but also displayed resilience and strength. Some found the focus, energy, and inspiration to write, to make art, and to express their creativity in other ways during this difficult, disruptive period.

This book began as a blog for a group of Northumberland writers in Ontario; a place where they could share their work and stay connected. Writing and reading these stories and poems helped to get us through. Our Pandemic Times provides a record of what we did, what we wrote, what we felt, and how we rose to the challenges of this uncertain year.