OUR COLLABORATIVE WRITING PROJECT

Born in Lockdown is a one-of-a-kind story with 277 authors and one shared experience: becoming a new mother in 2020. 

It’s the result of a collaborative writing project set up by novelist Emylia Hall, the founder of Mothership Writers. The coronavirus pandemic has intensified what is already a challenging time for many, making the need for self-expression ever more vital – the Born in Lockdown project grew out of this recognition. It was launched in November and was for mums who’d given birth that same year. The idea was to encourage writing for pleasure and purpose: to find, amidst the clamour, the space to hear one’s own voice. And, together, to tell the story of what it was like to navigate new motherhood in 2020. 

A call-out for participants resulted in 277 new mums taking part (you can meet a few of them over on our Journal) each writing in a fragmentary style – using no more than a handful of connected sentences. The joy of fragments is that they can be scribbled down when time permits; they reflect the flitting nature of our thoughts – allowing us to capture moments that might otherwise be lost; and best of all they feel accessible and achievable. The project was open to all – no prior writing experience was necessary – and anyone who wanted to be included was included. It was Emylia’s job, and great privilege, to find the narrative threads and stitch together this vast patchwork of experience; a whole, made of many, many small parts. All of the writers’ words appear verbatim and unedited – and every single one deserves to be read.

Born in Lockdown is a remarkable record of new motherhood at this time; an unflinchingly honest and moving account, where – despite the pain and hardship – such love and hope shine through.

While Born in Lockdown is free for anyone to download, we’d love it if readers were able to make a voluntary donation to our charity of choice, Sands, however small.

Victoria Luk from Sands says:

‘We are grateful to Mothership Writers for choosing to support Sands through Born in Lockdown. If you would like to make a donation, please visit sands.enthuse.com. Sands is the leading stillbirth and neonatal death charity in the UK. Sands exists to reduce the number of babies dying and to ensure that anyone affected by the death of a baby receives the best possible care and support for as long as they need it. We are here to support you and your family for as long as you need us. For more information about Sands please visit www.sands.org.uk. Thank you for your support.’

Please be aware that Born in Lockdown contains stories and experiences from authors that could possibly be upsetting or triggering for anyone who has been affected by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby. If you would like support and to speak to a member of the Sands Helpline, freephone 0808 164 3332 or email helpline@sands.org.uk.

Reading parts of Born in Lockdown may be upsetting or triggering, particularly if you’re struggling with your mental wellbeing. If you need further support always speak to your GP or another healthcare professional (there’s lots of information available on the Mind and NHS websites).

Juliette Boakes, part of our Mothership crew and Born in Lockdown contributor, says:

‘Sands is a wonderful charity very dear to my heart. In autumn 2018 my son Daniel was stillborn and Sands provided invaluable support to me at this time and throughout my subsequent pregnancy.’

‘Pregnancy after a loss is incredibly stressful and with the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic the anxiety was often overwhelming. Throughout my pregnancy I was suffering with PTSD which made hospital appointments and scans extremely triggering. As the pandemic progressed I had to face these and the early stages of labour alone. With immense gratitude and a tremendous sigh of relief our beautiful daughter Chloe was born safely in May 2020. A little sister to our beloved Daniel.’

‘The Born in Lockdown project for me was a way to process what I had been through in pregnancy and as a new mum during the pandemic. Contributing to this creative and collaborative project was an opportunity to document a very unique moment in time. It also provided a wonderful feeling of community during what was, and still is, a very isolating time as a new mother.’

We hope as many people as possible read Born in Lockdown, and that we can raise some money for this important charity and its invaluable work.

We're so grateful to Juliette – and all of the 276 other fantastic contributors – for sharing their stories.