Greetings from Sydney, Australia -- the first time I've travelled overseas since late 2019. It feels amazing (and strange) to have my wings on again!
Back in early 2020, I had recently returned home from travels to South America and all around the South Pacific, and I had upcoming trips planned to North America, Australia, and Europe -- journeys that never came to pass. Instead, along with hundreds of millions of people worldwide, I found myself locked down out at home, facing an uncertain future and wondering how to go on writing.
In early April 2020, I invited fellow writers from across the globe to contribute to an online gallery called "Writing in the Time of Covid-19." You sent me photographs of your computer desks and garden tables, your coffee mugs and keyboard-hogging cats, your wide yet narrow views to the outside world.
Wendi (USA) included a child and a dog in her photo: "Writing during COVID-19 means I have more company in my writing space." Juliet (Australia) set herself up to read next to her husband's grave: "Very peaceful and easy to maintain distance from (living) people." Ineke (UK) improvised an ingenious writing desk constructed from her boyfriend's ironing board.
Now it's time for a follow-up exhibit: "Writing, Writing Everywhere"!
Please send me your photos of where you're writing now: the cafe tables, garden benches, and mountaintops where you couldn't go to write at the height of the pandemic two years ago.
The submission portal will close on May 31. After that, I'll launch our new Writing, Writing Everywhere gallery with an invitation for you to visit online and vote for your favorite photo and caption.
The winner will receive a signed copy of my book Air & Light & Time & Space: How Successful Academics Write (which contains a whole chapter about writing spaces). That's right: I'll send you a hardback, slip-covered, snail-mailed copy of a real book that you can carry with you wherever you go to write.
Here's my submission to the Writing, Writing Everywhere gallery: a photo of the spot where I drafted this post. I can't wait to see yours!
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