He isn’t going to answer, but I knock and swallow the sob in my throat anyway.

The police are not coming.

It is no secret that writing — which is often difficult anyway, for a multitude of reasons — has come with a new set of challenges during the era of COVID-19.

Even before the global pandemic—a phrase that still sounds almost unreal to utter—supporting independent bookstores was paramount to the literary and small-business community.

So to Speak is thrilled to announce that on Friday, November 6, 2020, at 7:30 PM EST, we’ll be holding a virtual reading with some of our amazing 2020 contributors in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry!

My Mum is driving. Her skinny body sinks into the leather seats as she takes control of the vehicle. When we turn onto the half-murrum, half-tarmacked road, our tummies rumble.