2020 the Odyssey: the ultimate nonsense diary

Creative Writing Club

The Henrietta Barnett School
Library 2021

2020 the Odyssey:
the ultimate nonsense diary

2020 the Odyssey: the ultimate nonsense diary

In our previous writing challenges, we have explored different strategies when seeking for inspiration/creativity: other books, authors and readers (Inspirational Christmas challenge); our peers writers and readers, their ideas and different approaches to the same narrative (Halloween chain horror story).
This time, though, we have explored REALITY with a bitter-sweet giggle: as we all know, 2020's events sound more like a non-sense fiction book than a real non-sense fiction book... Some days were good, some not-so-good, and some others were really hard to overcome. Therefore, why don't we make the most of it and create? Why don't we reset our creative essence by producing our own writing catharsis based on the real freakish-bizarre 2020 events?

Well, it's time to produce humour: by mixing a cup of reality (which already contains enough weirdness and non-sense) with a spoonful of likelihood, seasoning with a batch of irony, and then firmly stirring and cooking it. Sometimes the best inspiration is reality itself!

With all these ingredients in hand, our creative writers' task was to produce a creative-nonsense-ironic-humorous look at 2020, by writing a journal/diary entry with up to 200 words.
They were also invited to include a photo of the most bizarre plus a photo of the most inspiring moments of 2020.

As a result, I have compiled all entries by date (2 pictures each included) and therefore produced a full digital scrapbook-journal/diary with 32 entries inclusive of surprising "fictio-real" narratives!
I hope you all enjoy reading all the different approaches, views, feelings, thoughts and humorous images, inspired by such a dystopian year: 2020.

Thank you,
Ana Ferreira, Librarian

05th January 2020

Dear Diary,

Happy New Year! 2020 will be fantastic; there will be the EUROs, the Olympics, it will be a leap year (I love the idea of an extra day), it will be the Year of the Rat (finally!), we’ll have the Year 6 show and.... I will go to my secondary school! I will definitely miss my friends but I’m sure we will make the most of the rest of the primary school journey together - out of all the years in primary school, everyone says Year 6 is the best! This year will be perfect. It’s pretty cold though… I can always see a little cloud of condensation in front of me when I’m breathing but spring is on its way!

School starts again tomorrow, and I’m so excited to see everyone again! The next two school terms will certainly be memorable! See you soon,
Morrigan

PS: Jing and her family are coming to England again for some time. I’m elated to see them - Jing is my brother’s age but we’re still really close and I’m like her big sister. I heard them talking to Mum on the phone and I heard something about a “coronavirus” so I Googled it and apparently it’s some sort of virus in China. I’m sure they’re having a superlative time there. However, I don’t think it will really have any impact on us in England.

Ellalia, 7G

Dear most talkative diary,

I’ve had a wonderful day today! Masks, hand sanitiser and too much family time! Gosh, what fun I’ve had watching the news too. You know, they’ve said this lockdown is gonna last for at least 4 whole months. I mean, I’m so thankful to COVID for giving me an opportunity to get even more lazy and unproductive. We went for a family car ride to get some fresh air and the streets were so calm and quiet, it was like a breath of fresh air. Especially for all the animals! I would like to truly thank the biological phenomenon we call COVID, although I think Galore is its real name. I thank you for all the headaches, struggling, illness and confinement you’ve brought to our world. For your most thankless help, I would like to award you with a big hug and many kisses! Just to finish off, I really hope that the struggle is real. I’m so lucky it's just the start. I feel so invigorated and I also feel like laughing so much. Do you know why? It’s because some hilarious person described this year as being kenopsia, and they’re hilariously true.

Hugs,
Aadya

03th February 2020

Aadya, 9.4

Dear Diary,

10th March 2020

Today I was fraught with mixed feelings, for it had just been announced that anyone who had a cold had to self-isolate. As soon as I went to school, everyone was chattering like nothing had happened. Relieved, I thought that there was nothing to fear if everyone was unchanged. After registration, my teacher made an important announcement: one that changed my life forever.

“Covid-19 has come. If you have symptoms of this virus, such as a cold, you must stay home.” my dull teacher declared, reading her notes off cards. After the speech, a boy just sneezed and followed it up with a cough. Everyone gasped and edged away from the boy.

My anti-social teacher then groaned and squeezed some sanitiser on her hand, which had such a strong bittersweet fragrance (the chemicals and the aroma do not make a nice pair). As fast as she could, my teacher left the room saying that she had a conference in France, and that a replacement teacher would be coming in ten minutes. What a formidable teacher! Afterwards, the supply teacher disembarked in our classroo, and just looked at us and squirted some more hand sanitiser and took away our classroom stock of stationary!

“No more stationary! You must have your own!” he cried, saying that it was school rules. Like I said, complete life changer.

Disha, 7H