This was the third year of the Junior Writers Programme. And, what a year 2020 was! The 20 junior writers were tested when the COVID-19 pandemic threw the world into lockdown. Not
only did they have to juggle school work with writing class and other activities, there was also the stress of being confined to their homes.

In March, just before the Movement Control Order (MCO) was announced, we took our classes online. The plan was to do it for a few months. Little did we know that it would last until the programme was completed. The youngsters took to online classes like ducks to water. They stared technical problems in the face and brushed them off. Some days, we had video classes and other days we had chat lessons when my mic refused to work. There were even days when the computer was employed for video and the phone was used for audio. We did everything we could to ensure classes went on.

In May, when it was time to reveal the theme for the book, some writers and their parents joked, saying they hoped it wouldn’t be about the pandemic. They were probably tired of the topic, seeing as it was all they read and heard about.

Considering how the pandemic and lockdown creates a setting for great human stories, it was a natural choice for the theme. Despite their reservations, the junior writers did well by coming up with perspectives influenced by their experiences as well as things that are important to them. The stories reflect many challenges faced by people in Malaysia during the lockdown. We have stories about grandparents, frontliners, families, animals and friends. Some are heartwarming and
others are gritty. Readers will find that beyond the lockdown, the scenes are real and familiar, and the emotions raw and relevant.

That is what makes the stories compelling: the writers’ willingness to tell the uncomfortable stories. Stories about poverty, abuse, divorce, suicide, Alzheimer’s and death. Writers have the power to make a difference. In this case, by making readers think, by pushing the envelope and discussing topics that are sometimes passed along in whispers in our Asian society. The junior writers are already doing that through their writing. They are also helping the community by contributing the royalties from the sale of this book to SOLS Health’s community centres.