Over the last few years we have witnessed the world fight for its life. Families have been devastated, livelihoods lost, and economies crippled. Amidst the heartache, shock and worry, everyone has had to find their own path through the crisis of Covid-19.
Retired palliative care nurse Angela Marston was ill and self-isolating when she wrote her first poem. Alone, scared and overwhelmed, writing brought her the comfort and clarity she desperately needed. As she recovered and keen to play her part, she wanted to create a collection of poems by and for key workers to raise money for NHS Charities Together.
She approached myself and Darren Smith off the back of the success of our short film You Clap For Me Now and asked if we could help her turn this project into a reality. After getting a few big named poets onboard including Hollie McNish, Najwa Zebian and Leticia Sala, we reached out to Harper Collins and co-created an anthology containing 100 voices from the frontline of a global epidemic.
Angela says: 'This is history in the making, and these poems record for all eternity the thoughts and feelings of ordinary people at an extraordinary time. I hope that in the future schools, colleges, and universities will use these poems to help students explore the stories behind the words.’
Poems For A Pandemic is a glimpse of the global effort to rescue humanity from the teeth of an invisible enemy – direct from the people that don capes and masks in order to go save the world. It reached the number one spot on Amazon’s bestseller lists for poems and anthologies, and was featured on the BBC, ITV, NBC, BBC Radio and Heart FM. All proceeds were donated to NHS Charities Together for their Covid-19 appeal.
Ella Lentini: Hello Stranger
Hollie McNish: Just A Nurse