COVID Days: A Poetic Memoir of A Schoolboy's Life Through the Pandemic - Paperback

"This is not a book. This is a work of art"

Step into the extraordinary world of a schoolboy navigating a pandemic and a nation in upheaval, seeing life through the unfiltered, fearless eyes of a Gen Z mind. COVID DAYS is unlike anything you've ever read-a raw, chaotic, humorous, and heartbreakingly real blend of poems, diary entries, and reflections that captures life as it was truly lived. From the addictive rhythm of free verse poems to the whimsical chronicles of bird care, kitchen disasters, and makeshift adventures, Methul Hettiarachchi invites you to see life in microcosm: the humour, heartbreak, resilience, and absurdity that shaped a generation. This memoir grabs you from the first line and refuses to let go, immersing you in moments that define youth, resilience, and human existence.

A Journey Through a Schoolboy's Eyes

Experience Sri Lankan life, strict education, and societal pressures with clarity, humour, and insight. Every poem and diary snippet is a time capsule, preserved exactly as it was written, while later reflections offer deeper thought. Witness the struggles of juggling online classes, tuition, exams, and family life, compounded by blackouts, power cuts, fuel queues, gas shortages, and the unrest of the Sri Lankan Aragalaya. The memoir captures the resilience needed to continue learning amidst chaos and the determination of a young mind navigating a rigid society with heavy expectations.

Through chaotic backyard adventures, kitchen disasters, balcony aviaries, and first encounters with love and death, the narrative immerses readers in the creativity, humour, and raw emotions of youth. It also reflects on the futility of routines and societal pressures, asking readers to reconsider what truly matters. Every line, pause, and visual arrangement pulls you into the experience, making you reflect, feel, and live alongside the narrator.

Why This Is Unlike Anything Else

COVID DAYS redefines what a book can be. Its unconventional form-poetry meets diary meets reflective essay-is immersive, thought-provoking, and deeply human.

- Raw and authentic: Poems and diary entries preserve spontaneity and emotion.
- Philosophical and reflective: Challenges routines, societal norms, and the meaning behind actions.
- Unconventional structure: Chronologically immersive yet playful, mirroring the freedom and chaos of youth.
- Cultural insight: A vivid portrait of Sri Lankan society, education, and family dynamics, showing pressures and resilience of children even amid crises and shortages.

What You'll Discover

- The stress, resilience, and ingenuity required to survive education and a global pandemic, even during fuel shortages, blackouts, and societal unrest.
- The humor and absurdity of everyday life, from backyard adventures to kitchen disasters.
- The transformative power of poetry as a lifeline for creativity, reflection, and survival.
- Deep, intimate moments of love, grief, curiosity, and existential questioning, including first encounters with love and death.
- A narrative that challenges conventional thinking, urging readers to reflect on life, societal pressures, and ambitions.

COVID Days is raw, simple yet profound, whimsical yet piercingly real. It is utterly unique, offering a lens into a young mind experiencing a paused, uncertain, and chaotic world. For anyone who has lived through these extraordinary times-or wants to understand them-this book will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you question how you see the world.

Rediscover life through the eyes of a schoolboy. Experience the pandemic and societal upheaval in poetic memoirs, diary entries, and unfiltered reflections. This is not just a memoir-it is an unforgettable work of art.