Hesp writes coronavirus book in aid of charity

AWELL-KNOWN Westcountry journalist and writer has used the power of his pen during the lockdown to raise money for a health charity.

WMN columnist Martin Hesp believes he is the first person to write a book filled with stories which focus solely on the coronavirus lockdown – and to publish the work while the pandemic continues.

“I wrote Tales From The Lockdown in the first 30 days after the nation was told to stay at home,” says Martin. “It is subtitled Six Short Stories of Rural Life Written During the Coronavirus – and what I attempted to do was dream up half-a-dozen scenarios which could only happen during this unique period.

“The people and narratives in the stories are fictitious, but they all have some loose basis in real life – either anecdotes I’ve heard about through the social-media grapevine, or old stories I’ve adapted to suit this extraordinary shutdown.

“There have apparently been a couple of other books launched about the pandemic during the past few weeks, but I understand they were actually written some time before and have simply been updated and adapted to meet present day events. My stories were all written during April and they focus on occurrences that could only happen in these weird times.”

Tales From the Lockdown is available on Amazon as either an ebook or a paperback - and profits from both are being donated to Hospice UK.

Toby Scott, from the charity, said: “Hospices are playing a vital role in caring for people affected by terminal illness, and are working closely with the NHS to make sure that people continue to get the care they need during the pandemic. Long-term funding for hospices always has relied on support from individuals and communities, and with shops closed and events cancelled, Martin’s generosity and sales of his book will make a difference.”

Martin’s short stories are all Westcountry based. “I can only write what I know about - I am sure being in lockdown in a big city must be very different from self-isolation in the countryside,” he said. “As my dear old dad passed away at St Margaret’s Hospice in Taunton just a few years ago, I know about the incredibly important work they do.”

■ Tales From The Lockdown is available on Amazon at £2.49 for the ebook, or £4.99 for the paperback.

Sue Hesp > Martin Hesp and lurcher Finn, with Tales from the Lockdown