The Covid-19 Quaranzine: Stories of ‘Home’ from Behind Closed Doors
As a result of Covid-19, our homes have transformed. Bedrooms have become offices, living rooms have become classrooms, gardens have become gyms, and every house has become a cage of sorts.
Some people without a home have found one whilst others have been evicted, and many, many people live with the uncertainty of not being able to afford to keep theirs.
‘Oxford is My Home’ is a zine produced by Oxford Poetry Library and Open House which uses words and pictures to tell the hidden stories of housing and homelessness in Oxford and what it means to call this city ‘home’.
For our third issue, we want to know what #StayatHome looks like for you? How are you spending your days? Who are you with? Are you enjoying yourself? What are you worried about? What do you miss about being able to leave your home?
Submissions are now OPEN for contributions to the zine. You can submit poems, stories, pictures, comic strips, or any other creative reflection which you can figure out a way of getting to us.
You can:
– Email us at oxfordismyhomezine@gmail.com
– Ring us on 0800 0096754 and leave a message and we’ll transcribe your story or poem
– Post your creations to Oxford is My Home, Makespace Oxford, 1 Aristotle Lane, OX2 6TP
The deadline is 11 May.
Please keep written submissions within 500 words. For any questions contact oxfordismyhomezine@gmail.com
Stuck for inspiration? Why not try one of these easy exercises alone, or with others to get your creative juices flowing!
Writing a Poem
Start with the phrase ‘What happened today?’ and then keep writing non-stop for 3 minutes. Don’t think too hard about what you write because this is just to get started and see where your mind takes you. You don’t even need to try and make it like a poem. The only aim is to keep writing for the full 3 minutes.
Look back at what you wrote. Find one word, sentence or phrase that you particularly like. Could this be a start of a poem?
Explore your chosen words. Are there other words which mean something similar or the opposite? Does this word rhyme with anything else? This will lead you to the next line.
Try using all 5 senses – smell, touch, taste, sight and sound to bring your poem to life.
Remember: there are really no rules to what make a good poem. They might rhyme or they might not. They might be long or short. The most important thing is to enjoy writing!
Short Stories
Think about the experiences you have had when living in isolation – was there something funny, upsetting, uplifting or unexpected which happened to you?
Stories also allow us to explore alternative realities. Perhaps you would like to change what happened in real-life. Ask yourself ‘what else could have happened’ or ‘wouldn’t it be funny if’ and see if this changes where your story goes.
You can also try making up a character. What if your experience happened to someone completely different? Maybe they are a different age to you, a unique job, or have a personality flaw. What would they do differently in this situation?
A story only needs three things – a beginning, a middle, and an ending. What would be a good place to start and to end your story?
Life-Writing
This is where you simply write about what you are experiencing in your life now. These ideas might help to get started:
- Write a letter to your future self – what would you like them to remember about what is happening right now?
- Write a letter to an alien – imagine you are describing your situation to someone who has no knowledge of what is happening on Earth today
Interview Yourself. Imagine you were interviewing a stranger about what it is like to live in self-isolation. Write down all the questions you might like to ask them. Then answer them yourself!
