Ajournal of the plague (OK, pandemic) year

It seems intuitive when you look back at it. But sometimes these things get started when, as Toronto writer and poet Jeff Dupuis tells it, “when you’re in the middle of doing something else.”

The genesis of the fledgling new literary journal “The Quarantine Review” is just such an example.

“I was just sitting on the couch with my wife (ROM publishing maven Sheeza Sarfraz) and said ‘Should we throw together a literary journal with some of our friends?’ ” recounts Dupuis. Apparently she said “great idea” and they were off to the races. Between friends and chat groups and neighbours who include writers and someone from Dundurn Press, they cobbled together a team of sorts.

Within a week, says Dupuis, they were reviewing submissions (they received about 11 “of a solid length”) and began editing, with Dundurn contributing design and marketing help.

The speed at which it happened “even surprised me,” he says.

Writers appearing in this first edition include Stacey May Fowles who writes about life “Without Baseball,” and the poet Paul Vermeersc, among others. There’ll also be an interview with the jazz singer Shannon Butcher. “Each issue we plan on interviewing someone of prominence and ask them how they’re dealing with the new normal,” says Dupuis.

Writers are participating on an “entirely voluntary” basis, says Dupuis, unless they are somehow able to secure a grant or funding.

In this case, the exposure might actually be enough for once. Lockdown has created a tricky situation for authors, particularly ones who have first books coming out: there are far fewer ways to promote them. Dupuis knows: his first book, “Roanoke Ridge: A Creature X Mystery,” came out March 7. “I wanted to give myself and other writers an opportunity to get our names out there and communicate with our audiences about the circumstances we’re in,” he says.

Currently they’re planning four issues. But something based on a current event like this has a limited lifespan — at least one hopes so.

“I kind of hope … it will be ‘ “The Quarantine Review?” What were you thinking?’ ” Dupuis says.

Meantime, the first issue is coming out

June 6 and it’ll sell for $1.99. Proceeds are going to charity; this issue it’s the Red Door Family Shelter. Get it where you get your ebooks or at dundurn.com.

Kid lit goes virtual

A couple of programs popular with the pre-teen set are going virtual.

Camp Penguin, a summer project of Penguin Random House, is rejigging its third year slightly. They’ll still provide a curated list of kid-friendly books you can order from your local indie bookstore, as well as a reading passport and tote bag, but they’re adding virtual “camp programming” every day from July 13-17, when kids can join in and participate in drawing workshops, bookclub discussions and so on with some of their favourite authors. Find out more at penguinrandomhouse.ca/camp-penguin

And the Forest of Reading Festival — in which thousands of kids are bused in to celebrate kids’ books and see the winners of awards including the Silver Birch prizes — will be celebrated instead in a oneday, free digital award ceremony event.

It’s going live on the CBC Books platform on June 16. And, for the first time, a national audience will be able to participate. Watch the hashtags #ForestofReading and #IReadCanadian on Twitter for details.