2020 has proven to be a year of changes. 'Pivot' became the new buzzword and almost everyone went online. 19 writers from across the world came together in a writing group and decided to pen down their own versions of what it felt like to be under lockdown. Locked down not only in our everyday lives but in our heads, in society and within the family.

19 unusual essays, short stories and poems which were written in Guatemala, Croatia, Dubai, Belgium, USA, Australia and India. Its an eclectic mix and a wonderful read.

The book has been titled Quarantales - stories written during a time when so many of us were in Quarantine. But that quarantine is not just about the pandemic. Sometimes our souls need to go into isolation. To preserve our sanity or to hide from the hurt, we sometimes need that space into which we can recede, contemplate and come out whole again. It is part of the healing process.

These stories come from our writers who have gone within and searched their souls. This time in lockdown gave us time to reflect and the thoughts poured forth into essays, short stories, poetry and personal pieces. Some are intense, while others are more light-hearted, but they all send one message - no matter where we are on this earth, we are one. This pandemic has united us in a way that no premeditated elaborate plan could have done.