EDITED: New deadline, updated to state 1st June 2020.
by Chris Richards.
May Day! May Day! Juliette Jones: Editorial Services are compiling a book of stories written by our children and the closing date is approaching fast!
Juliette Jones is a wonderful woman with a name reminiscent of a Marvel superhero! Working from home while home schooling is a perspective now shared by so many parents in this bizarre and uncertain time. The Children’s Isolation Book project, compiling entries from the unique perspectives of children who have been displaced from their normal day to day routines, is an idea born from a conversation with her own son.
Searching for a positive while staring down the barrel of 3 long weeks (at least) in isolation from other teenage company and a deadly virus spreading over the world, Juliette suggested some escapism in some creative storytelling. Like so many people, the prospect of looking back at this time made writing down the stories even more appealing.
Spurred on by her son’s enthusiasm, Juliette took to Facebook to call on other parents, for as many children as possible to submit their own short stories or poems for the project – The Children’s Isolation Book.
Setting the deadline at 1st June 2020. Juliette says, “I want to collect as many stories as I can and publish them in a book celebrating the creativity and resilience of our wonderful children during what is a really strange time.”
All entries will come together in a book to be sold on Amazon, with profits going to Reading Force, a charity bridging the gap between deployed loved ones and families with stories, reading resources and scrapbook projects. Maintaining family connections and combating loneliness whilst promoting literacy and a lifelong love of shared stories.
The story or poem can be about anything. Guidelines include word counts for different age groups: ages 5 -7 years, approximately 100 words; 8 -10 years, approximately 300; and 10 -16 years, approximately 500 words. But these are flexible.
All further details can be found via juliettejones.co.uk/childrens-isolation-book-entries/. The closing date is Friday, 1st June 2020.