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by Stephen Faulds

Derek Farmer is a writer with twelve unpublished novels working on his thirteenth novel when the pandemic begins. His wife has left him and he sees lockdown as a welcome escape from the things that distract him from writing.
He reads news articles and social media on a daily basis and develops an antipathy toward the official Covid narrative.
Derek and Max, a character in a novel he is writing are dealing with mental health issues exacerbated by lockdowns and other lifestyle restrictions. Max is a Gulf War veteran suffering post-traumatic stress and failing to cope with relationships. Derek begins to identify with his dysfunctional character and uses his vicissitudes as cathartic therapy for his own failure to embrace reality. The narrative integrates Derek’s first-person account with Max’s third person narrative and real quotes from the media dealing with pandemic issues as it unfolded in Derek’s timeline.

212 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 8, 2024

About the author

Stephen Faulds is an English teacher with many years experience teaching both English and Drama. He has self-published fourteen novels and one non-fiction title as ebooks. He has written many short scripts, which have been performed by students at both primary and secondary level. His play 'Seatown' was performed at The Blue Room theatre in 2007 and has been published by The Australian Script Centre. He has a web site featuring his writing, photography and artwork, which is archived at the State Library of WA.