For most of us, the arrival of summer offers a much-welcomed break from the constant flow of reports, papers, memos, and email. With the slower pace comes the chance to catch up on books and other longer reads that we’ve put aside until summer. The editors of Pandemic Discourses invite you to help us put together a “Pandemic Best Reads” list of books and long-form essays or reporting that offer voices and reflections that are often overlooked in mainstream outlets in the West.
One example, which garnered substantial attention when it came out in English translation in late 2020, is Wuhan Diary, by the Wuhan resident and writer Fang Fang. Across the Global South, there are many other “voices from the pandemic” that document experiences of coping with the struggles of daily life, the emotional distress of being under quarantine, the scarcity of reliable information, and much else. Entries to the “Pandemic Best Reads” need not be works translated into English or other international languages—feel free to recommend any work that gives readers insights into the multiple meanings and experiences of the pandemic during its various stages.
To submit your recommendations, please email FukudaPS@newschool.edu.