Quotes from readers.
I think Covid Chronicles in Rhyme is stunning – beautifully presented and packed with fascinating information and some amusing commentary. It really ‘took me back’. It is an excellent record and reminder of those very strange times – a fantastic achievement.
Marilyn Frost, Southampton.
Looking through your book brings mixed emotions, the frustrations and worrying times and then thankfully your fabulous pictures demonstrating that nature and time goes on. Your humour and ‘can do’ character comes through with a positive attitude and hope. What an achievement!
Monique Smith, Surrey.
The author – Rosemary Laird – cleverly rhymes the weekly unfolding story of how Covid overtook society, altering all of our lives irrevocably into the bargain.
A poignant, dramatic, often witty & always hopeful conversation piece which will continue to offer an alternative creative insight into these unprecedented times for many many years to come!
Highly recommended!
Steve Garret
Rosemary’s verse chronicles are easy to read while being a serious weekly record of the Covid pandemic as it unfolded. Her beautiful photographs add to it, often poignantly, as in the case of a gazebo ruined at the end of a ruined year and snowdrops bringing hope to a new one through the dead brown leaves of the old. The many government instructions we had to live by are all recorded as a reminder of those restricting times. There is something for everyone in this true account of a unique historical event that affected us all.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
PC.
‘It was kind of you to send The Queen a copy of your book, Covid Chronicles in rhyme, and Her Majesty was touched you have sent her a gift’
Mary Morrison, Lady-in-Waiting.
Covid Chronicles is an absolutely incredible book. It is a historical piece, amusing, informative but also moving and at times shocking. It’s hard to comprehend that we have all been through this journey recently and it is a helpful reminder of all the detail. Beautifully written, intelligent, witty and wise. Definitely something everyone should own!
Esther Goulden
Covid Chronicles in Rhyme is an extremely efficient and palatable reference book for those seeking to recap the more intrinsic points of what occurred across the UK in 2020 and early 2022. The fact that the information, statistics, and crucial events are recorded in a poetic rhyming fashion actually allows these smaller details to be more easily digestible. Through her couplets, Rosemary Laird does indeed display a talent for documenting a great deal of data, both bleak and optimistic. The rolling toll of people infected, and what date it happened is only the tip of the iceberg. Also noted are the measures taken by our leaders, the solutions proposed and carried out, and the numerous businesses and schemes charged with creating vaccines and test and trace programs, and how other countries were coping in comparison to the UK. In Rosemary’s poems, a considerable wealth of knowledge and assiduousness can be found.
Ash Jacob, The Book Network.
I honestly enjoyed reading this chronicle although it was sometimes bleak it had a charm and hopefulness to it. It also serves as a reminder of what we collectively faced and have almost come through but also to have as a reminder for those who we lost through that period. All in all I think this is a book everyone should eventually get a copy of for posterity. A definite five star.
Siobhain McCormick
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Reviews
29th November 2022
Review by Astha Zalpuri, Instagram @astha_09. Book review organized by The Book Network.
I want to start by saying that I was given an opportunity to be part of The Book Network book tour. My review is honest and left voluntarily.
As it has been rightly said, “human beings will always find the funny side, even in a crisis”, Rosemary Laird’s “Covid Chronicles in Rhyme” truly justifies it ?
No doubt, coronavirus situation was dire, but here she is, with her ability to make light of awful situations which is an historic marker of British coping mechanisms. If you are looking for a book which is dramatic, witty, has hard on facts – you are at the right place. ✅
Rosemary beautifully and colourfully unfolds the weekly tales of the pandemic in the UK and around the Europe in a rhythmic manner which would make you giggle, laugh and worried at the same time. Apart from keeping it light as a feather she has also highlighted the different governmental initiatives undertaken during such times – this book is both a treat and a pandora of facts. ???️
Brace yourself to ask this question towards the end, “how could anyone write something about Covid, its spread, variants, the vaccines/treatment developed by keeping the reader gripped at the same time. This is not your “regular” poetic book. Highly recommend it if you are looking for something fresh ☘️?☘️
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
28th November 2022
Review by Kirsty Lock, Instagram @fiction_vixen18, for www.thebooknetwork.co.uk.
Now that the pandemic as we knew it with uncertainty, high death rates and lockdowns are over and life has gone back to some semblence of normal, it is easy to shut out or forget how bad things were during the inital stages of the pandemic and how bleak it got, yet also how bizarrely hopeful people were in what was almost a blitz spirit at times.
Covid Chronicles in Rhyme runs from March 2020 when the first Lockdon came into place until 2022, with each week of this time being describe in one poem outlining what had happened in that week and the feelings being felt by not only the nation but by the world too.
The formating of the poems was really accessible as they were in rhyming couplets which made it an easy read for poetry lovers and novices alike. I was suprised by how detailed they were considering how simple they were, and I mean that in a really good way. The poems brought back so many things that really made me stop and think, and I felt weirdly proud and almost patriotic at what we achieved as a nation and how we came together to fight it. The poems that mentioned the late Queen Elizabeth the 2nd also brought a tear to my eye.
I loved the inclusion of the pictures in the book as well, from nature, to signs that became normal and the PPE that became as routine as underwear, as not only did it go towards the memory and recording of the time of covid, but it also showed that during it all the world was still thriving, hadn’t given up on us and that even when there is devastation and fear all around, beauty and hope will find a way.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
27th November 2022
Review by Charlotte Lambourne see Instagram @bluefairybug. Review for The Book Network book tour.
‘Covid Chronicles in Rhyme’ charts the 2(ish) years that we lived with the covid-19 pandemic. The author had written a week by week account using rhyming couplets and photos of her beautiful garden to chart the changing seasons.
I found the rhymes a little forced in places, (sorry, I said I’d be honest) but over all they provided an honest insight into the past 2 years. It seems odd looking back, it feels so fresh and yet so far away that it almost feels unreal. Did we really live like that? I wish I’d kept my own diary of events!
At times the book made me cry, to see the numbers that died, I’d forgotten how quickly they rose. It almost doesn’t seem possible. Other parts made me smile at the memories of how communities pulled together. Rosemary has cleverly made sure each week ends with a message of hope, because at times it seemed that was all we had.
26th November 2022
Review by Celeste Cruz U.S.A Instagram @c.c.c.villacorta. Review for The Book Network book tour.
Covid Chronicles in Rhyme: Covid-19 Pandemic recorded week by week in rhyming couplets.
by Rosemary Laird (Goodreads Author)
Siobhain (@whatyoutolkienabout)‘s review
It seems almost bizarre to consider that only a few years ago the world was a different place. Although things are back to a new sort of normal it is remiss to forget what happened in 2020 up until 2022. In Covid Chronicles in Rhyme Rosemary Laird covers this now historically significant time from March 23rd 2020 to January 2022. Each week is captured in the form of detailed poems laid out in rhyming couplets making it ease to read and absorb. While the book may sound like a novelty the quality of the writing and detailed content within could and should easily see this becoming a valuable document in the future to look back at the time. I particularly think this would suit well in a GCSE curriculum of English and/or History given the details within.
In Covid Chronicles in Rhyme Laird ambitiously set out to record weekly accurate and detailed records of the progress of the pandemic in the UK with reference to the spread in the rest the of the world. Rosemary Laird informs the reader that at the start of the pandemic she wanted to start a record of sorts but a diary just did not seem right and thus the idea of chronicling the pandemic through the use of rhyming couplets to create a weekly poem. The poems in the Covid Chronicles in Rhyme are packed full of a facts, figures and statistics some of which highlight the bleak and depressing rise of the virus. Laird does juxtapose these bleak facts with a little comment, humour or optimism in the true ‘British’ Style.
Being a professional photographer the seasonal effects of the pandemic are viewed through beautiful pictures of Laird’s garden. Along side these lovely nature photos we have posters and signs that were common place within the pandemic. Placing these images along with the weekly rhymes Laird does manage to create the chronicle they warranted.
Another thing I love about this book is the inclusion of a timeline, list of abbreviations used in the text and what they mean and also a list of important people mentioned within such as politicians, scientists and others mentioned for those who may not know or be from a different country than the UK. As I said above I really feel this will be enjoyed and an interesting piece of history for all ages and one that when reading you can be transported back to them sometimes bleak 95 weeks between 2020 and 2022. But it also allows those in future generations to get a more personalised and familiar view than may be found in records or recordings of press conferences and official statements. This is why I feel this would be a brilliant book to introduce into the curriculum.
I honestly enjoyed reading this chronicle although it was sometimes bleak it had a charm and hopefulness to it. It also serves as a reminder of what we collectively faced and have almost come through but also to have as a reminder for those who we lost through that period. All in all I think this is a book everyone should eventually get a copy of for posterity. A definite five star.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Review by Dr Peter O’Donnell retired GP.
Review by Ash Jacob. The Book Network.
Rosemary Laird is a professional photographer with an impressive resume of work that includes photo trips to Antarctica, the Arctic and other countries. She is also a keen gardener. In March 2020, when coronavirus arrived in the UK and a national lockdown was declared sometime after, she began recording information relating to the pandemic as told by various news outlets, and did so in the form of weekly poetry. After nearly two years of documentation, this body of work has come together in her collection, Covid Chronicles in Rhyme.
Covid Chronicles in Rhyme begins in the week of March 23, 2020 and concludes at the beginning of January, 2022, journeying across 95 weeks (some weeks are excluded while the pandemic waned towards the end of 2021) of life in the UK during lockdown and the Covid-19 outbreak. The events of each week pertaining to the virus, the government response, and the effects felt by the public, are annotated in easy-to-follow rhyming couplets, which gradually increase in depth as did the complexity to everyday life that Coronavirus caused.
Whilst it’s simple enough to remember 2020 as a year under lockdown, the reality when picked apart, was a great deal more complicated. There were periods of experimental reopening, desperate anticipation for efficient testing and treatment, severe issues with PPE and other equipment, an ever-changing mandate of what the public were obliged to do and how to interact with one another. Society went through numerous cycles of turmoil, strife and hopefulness, the nature of which changed with each passing week. It’s easy to forget these smaller details. Particularly when the general population longed for the end result of re-obtaining that pre-pandemic lifestyle, the information provided during the intermittent periods were useful only during the small pockets of time when they were relevant.
Covid Chronicles in Rhyme is therefore an extremely efficient and palatable reference book for those seeking to recap the more intrinsic points of what occurred across the UK in 2020 and early 2022. The fact that the information, statistics, and crucial events are recorded in a poetic rhyming fashion actually allows these smaller details to be more easily digestible. Through her couplets, Rosemary Laird does indeed display a talent for documenting a great deal of data, both bleak and optimistic. The rolling toll of people infected, and what date it happened is only the tip of the iceberg. Also noted are the measures taken by our leaders, the solutions proposed and carried out, and the numerous businesses and schemes charged with creating vaccines and test and trace programs, and how other countries were coping in comparison to the UK. In Rosemary’s poems, a considerable wealth of knowledge and assiduousness can be found.
Likewise, reading through each passing week and month in fluid succession allows readers to truly gather a sense of how the UK Government failed to respond to Covid-19 in a wise and consistent fashion. Not only does Rosemary remind us that an inability to take the pandemic seriously from day-one contributed to much of its spread, but also describes how premature reopening in a disproportionate manner across the country was soon to ricochet, and bring Britain the long way round back to where it started at the beginning of the Coronavirus threat. The suffering caused to lives and livelihoods is clear and the resulting anger to those responsible is felt and truly justified. However, in this book, one will also find the finer details of the frontline workers in the health and care sector, and how their sacrifices don’t, won’t and shouldn’t go unnoted in the history books. The science, politics and humanity that emerged in the wake of Covid-19 are all covered in good balance, and described in all their triumph, failure and endurance.
Given the depth of coverage and the commitment put into Covid Chronicles in Rhyme, this is certainly a book of poignant reflection and a handy reference for all who lived through Covid, but don’t remember it quite as well as they think. Everybody had an individual experience of life under lockdown, and could in theory write a ‘Covid Chronicles in Rhyme’ of their own. But Rosemary’s skill is in creating one that is universally viable to all, and so a space on the shelf for this collection is recommended for those keen to look back on those turbulent and world-changing events.
Some wonderful garden photography heading the many recorded months also contribute to the neat presentability of this collection; life thriving and enduring, even in the darkest of times.
You find out more about Covid Chronicles in Rhyme and its author at covid-chronicles-in-rhyme.com
You can order your own copy of the book at:
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Newspaper articles
20th July 2022 Surrey Live online published an article by Dave Bradshaw about Rosemary and the writing of Covid Chronicles in Rhyme.
Surrey Live Article 20th July 2022
A Haslemere photographer turned her hand to poetry during the pandemic by writing about each week’s events in poems comprised of rhyming couplets. Rosemary Laird, 77, gained an enthusiastic following for her work as she published each of her rhymes on Facebook and has now released the entire collection as a book.
Rosemary, who was born in Windsor but has lived in Surrey for 25 years, started writing her poems when the first lockdown was announced in March 2020, having realised that she was witnessing a major historical event unfold. She felt it was important that she keep notes on what was happening but decided that using rhyme would be more interesting than simply keeping a diary.
She told SurreyLive: “I decided these events had to be recorded, and they had to be recorded as they happened because then they are much more real than if you reflect on them later. Writing the rhymes was a good way of involving myself positively in the pandemic rather than just sitting there worrying about it. It was such a strange time in our lives, and it helped me to understand what was going on.”
Rosemary listened avidly to news programmes about the pandemic to inform her rhymes, especially on BBC radio. She kept writing each week until the beginning of 2022 and then decided that she would bring all of her work together as one anthology.
Having done some research into her options she decided to self-publish rather than search for a publisher, as that could take years and she wanted to release her work while the pandemic was still fresh in people’s memories. She found the process of publishing to be more arduous than the writing ever had been, but has now been able to release her work as a book entitled ‘Covid Chronicles in Rhyme’.
Extract from April 17, 2020
New drugs we need fast and Remdesivir is in trial.
It’s been used for Ebola but it may take a while.
A new vaccine is essential, researchers are doing their best.
It will take 12 to 18 months; there’s little hope it could be less.
It’s been sunny this week, a bit colder it’s true.
Trees came to life, spring leaves a fresh green hue.
Our gardens are colourful, in sunshine they’re bright.
Lucky to be alive are we, as dawn follows night.
The book is available now from Rosemary’s website. It can also be purchased directly from Amazon in hardback, paperback and as an e-book. Haslemere Garden Centre is also stocking physical copies.
Issue 19th May 2022 – The Herald. Town resident releases first book.
Haslemere resident Rosemary Laird has published her first book Covid Chronicles in Rhyme. The book covers the Covid-19 pandemic from March 24th 2020 until January 2022 and is made up of weekly reports written in rhyming couplets. Rosemary has been a photographer for 25 years and she has more than 10,000 photos with Getty Images.
Rosemary is hosting an invitation only book launch event at her home on Friday May 27th 2022 from 10am to 12pm, 2pm to 4pm and 6pm to 8pm. To attend the launch event visit www.covid-chronicles-in-rhyme.com and click on contact to email Rosemary.
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Book launches
Rosemary held a champagne book launch and signing at her home in Haslemere, Surrey on 27th May 2022. It was well attended.
Book signings are available. Please contact Rosemary using the website contact page if you would like to arrange one.
Bookshops and websites stocking Covid Chronicles in Rhyme
Covid Chronicles in Rhyme can be purchased online from Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwell’s, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Tales and ABE Books.
Signed hardback copies of Covid Chronicles in Rhyme can be purchased from Haslemere Garden Centre, Surrey.
Date published, countries available and copies held in collections.
Covid Chronicles in Rhyme was published on 30th April 2022.
It is available as hardcover, paperback and ebook in the U.K., U.S.A., Canada, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Denmark and Germany.
Haslemere Educational Museum in Surrey has added a hardback copy of ‘Covid Chronicles in Rhyme’ to their reference library which contains over 7,000 books.
A hardback copy of Covid Chronicles in Rhyme has been added to the British Library Collection.