Postbox is the magazine of Postbox Press, the literary fiction imprint of Red Squirrel Press publishing short story pamphlets and collections, novellas and novels.

Writer and musician Colin Will is Editor of both Postbox and Postbox Press, the fiction imprint of Sheila Wakefield’s Red Squirrel Press.

‘Like many people, I didn’t imagine that by now, late July 2021, despite lockdowns, testing and the speed at which vaccines were developed and licensed, although restrictions are easing, the Covid -19 pandemic which began in early 2020 would be continuing to present a clear and present danger. Here in Scotland, the population was 5.454 million in 2019 and the first doses of vaccines were administered on 8 December 2020. 4,016,326 people here have had their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 3,349,622 their second dose. The worldwide population was 7.674 billion in 2019, deaths are estimated at 4.229 million (more than the population of Croatia), cases at 198.2476 million and again, both figures are likely to be higher. These figures are heartbreaking and frightening, every death is one too many, every case, one too many. Millions of families have been devastated by loss and many are experiencing delayed grief and poverty.

 

It now looks as though we will living our lives in an altered way for some time, possibly having vaccine booster injections, continuing to practice good hygiene and wearing masks. Anything which helps to prevent the spread of Covid-19 cases and deaths remains worth it, please continue to stay safe.’

 

—Sheila Wakefield

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