Author appeals for lockdown experiences for new book about life in Ryhope

Liz Million is working with award-winning arts project The Cultural Spring and Ryhope Community Centre through funding secured from Sunderland City Council’s East Area Committee and Arts Council England, to create the booklet which will include poems, drawings and stories.

Liz is a familiar sight in Wearside schools, where she visits to talk about art and teaches drawing.

“A few years ago I was involved in a project with Ryhope Community Centre which produced a wonderful inter-generational book called I Remember When, and I now want to create another book to talk about lockdown.

"It has been a very unusual and strange year and I want people to tell me about their experiences using pictures, poems or words,” Liz explained.

“Ryhope is a particular favourite place of mine, I met so many wonderful people when we were creating I Remember When and I found out what resilient and upbeat people live in the village – even in the face of uncertain times, and I really want to capture that.

“I’m delighted to have been asked by The Cultural Spring and Ryhope Community Centre to capture people’s experiences of the past few months – but we won’t have a booklet without people sending me their contributions. So I want to hear from the people of Ryhope.

“I want to know what Covid times mean to you – what is happening in lockdown, how are you feeling? You can be honest and write a frank poem about how you were feeling, or you can write an upbeat one. They can be serious, thought-provoking funny or sad, anything you want.

“You can write from your own perspective or write as someone else, perhaps as a key worker, an elderly neighbour or even a family pet! Don’t worry if you enjoy lockdown – tell us all about the games you play and what else you’re doing,” said Liz, from Darlington.

You can send your stories, poems or pictures to Liz at [email protected] by the deadline of November 27.

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