Confined to home, she misses live energy of literary events

Neha Saini

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 21

Like others, Preeti Gill, a literary agent and patron, Majha House, has not been spared by the lockdown. She said she was finding it difficult to cope with social distancing. Confined to her house mostly, Preeti spends most her time baking and curating literary events online.

“I mostly try to remain positive about this entire situation that no one could comprehend. But once a day, I do think about normalcy as I miss engaging conversations and events. We have been doing a lot digital literary interactions lately, but you miss that live energy of a social event,” she said.

These days, she has been engaging herself in a book or baking at her home in Delhi. She said the current crisis was a time to remind everyone of the things they took for granted.

“My husband and I are at an age where being confined to home feels like a forced retirement, something that we do not want to do, but we have no choice. I try to spend time with my dog, talk to my children and my mother, who is 86 years old. We have been stuck in Delhi since the lockdown. She misses her home in Bhopal and has started writing poetry about ‘ghar wapasi’ as she misses her home,” she added.

As an industry professional, Preeti said the lockdown had hit the publishing industry hard. “Most publishing houses are closed and no one is printing or releasing a book. Besides, no one is buying as these are not included in essential goods and services so no deliveries are happening. It is a tough time for us all,” she said.

Trying to stay positive, she said, “Hopefully, it will all end soon.”