Pupils inspire Covid reflections book by Islandmagee teacher

An Islandmagee Primary School teacher has written and illustrated a new personal reflection on the coronavirus pandemic.
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Julie Lowry’s ‘My Covid Memory Book’ also has a section in which readers can add their own memories.

Julie, a 44-year-old mum of three, said: “My dream has always been to illustrate a book. I have always loved art, having studied art as part of my teaching degree at Stranmillis College. I love using watercolours and painted the images in the book using these.

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“During lockdown art became my way of finding some relaxing time. It helped me escape from the worries we were facing during the pandemic.

Julie Lowry.Julie Lowry.
Julie Lowry.

“The idea for the book came from chats with my own children and discussions with my pupils when they returned to school between lockdowns.

“My class talked about their memories, thoughts and feelings during lockdown. They then created a Lockdown Memory Jar to bury in the school grounds. It was a way of helping them process the events of the pandemic.

“From start to finish it took me a few months to create.”

Each page has an illustration with poetry text remembering separate aspects of the pandemic, such as wearing masks, clapping for key workers, class bubbles etc.

'A little book of history in the making'.'A little book of history in the making'.
'A little book of history in the making'.
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“The idea of this book is that it will one day be ‘a little book of history’; so it’s a little book of history in the making.”

Meanwhile, Julie is now working on her next book.

She explained: “It will be about feelings/emotions children have and how to cope with them with a friendly character guiding the way.”

My Covid Memory Book, which is suitable mainly for children but not exclusively, is available to buy on Amazon.

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