Foundation Lockdown.
Write a blog they said; it will only need to be 75 words they said. Well, here goes!
The hashtag #inthistogether is trending, which made me wonder: “If I were a superhero, would I still be saving the world during the lockdown?”
Would I need to self-distance, wear a mask and gloves?
This practice may be problematic while rescuing the person stuck on top of Burj Khalifa.
How would I operate in these troubled times?
Would I drop my superhero kit at the door before entering the house and then do a hot wash, against my environmental cold wash practice, to keep my family safe?
A superhero who saves the planet might seem like a good thing, but would he or she have to make choices to keep the world AND his or her family safe? Of course they would, right?
I would love to see one of our young writers imagine how their character would react to the virus locally. What choices would they make to save the world?
What would that character do during the pandemic that made the difference for all of us in the UAE?
Would their character be the hero or the villain?
Will they need to work together, just as we do right now in the UAE, to overcome the virus?
Whichever choices they make, they now have extra time to submit their story. The submission date is extended to 7 June, so keyboards at the ready.
I, for one, cannot wait to read the adventures that unfold.
And I will firmly leave my superhero outfit in the cupboard. Anyhow, it may well not fit after the lockdown!
Voice of Jennifer Malton
Jennifer has a mission of spreading the love of reading across the UAE and beyond. Jennifer oversees all operations aspects of the Foundation’s events. She is also on a sustainability mission to make the Emirates Literature Festival the first certified green Festival in the region and champions environmentally preferable solutions within the organisation and through the supply chain.
Jennifer is also named consultant on the Voices of Future Generations initiative, under the patronage of UNESCO, supporting HH Sheikha Hissa Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Goodwill Ambassador for the Gulf.
