With coronavirus rampaging around the world, about the only thing that’s certain is that many of us are going to have a lot more time on our hands in the next few months.
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Social media is full of ideas about how to occupy yourself when museums, restaurants, cinemas are closed and you’re told to stay indoors or avoid contact with other people. You can enjoy a live safari with Cincinnati zoo, watch live streaming of operas from USA or take virtual tours of museums and art galleries around the world.
If you’re an avid reader, the obvious way to fill all this new leisure time, is simply to read even more. It sounds an idyllic way to spend the day doesn’t it? But what if, like me, you find even that loses its appeal after a while?
Lisa at ANZLitLovers has helpfully come up with ten suggestions that will keep you busy if you have to be in quarantine or are practising self isolation.
I’m going to share a few more suggestions with you. The added beauty is that they won’t cost you a penny.
Embrace audiobooks
I know many of you are already fans of audio books so feel free to skip this section. But if you’re someone who has never explored this world. now could be a good time to begin the adventure
.Audio books are perfect companions for chores like ironing and cleaning (judging by my friends’s plans, all our houses are going to be spotless in coming weeks). They can also go with you if you’re able to get outside for some socially isolated exercise.
There are big service providers like Audible and Scribd but they all require you to pay a monthly subscription. However, there are free alternatives available.
One option is to check whether your local library service includes the ability to borrow audio books via a digital download to your computer or devices like smartphones/iPads.
Failing that you can try Open Culture. Most of these products are audio versions of the classics but you’ll also find a smattering of more contemporary works. Expect to see plenty by Austen, Brontes, Conan Doyle, Dickens and Arthur C Clarke but you’ll also find Neil Gaiman; Ian McEwan and Column McCann.
It’s also worth checking out Librivox, a not for profit organisation which has hundreds of books available. They’re all read by volunteers so you’ll find the quality does vary considerably. But since they’re all free, if you don’t like a particular narrator’s voice, you won’t be out of pocket if you abandon it and look for a different recording.
Discover Podcasts
Audio recordings of novels do tend to run several hours ( a standard length novel can last about 11 hours in recorded form). If you prefer something shorter, then podcasts may be more to your taste. It’s rare for a podcast to last more than an hour. Some may run for just 15 or 30 minutes.
I’ve been a massive fan of podcasts since I first heard about them in the early 2000s. I listen to them in the gym, my car and on flights.
Right now I have 15 different podcast streams on my iPod, covering a mix of book/reading discussions, true crime, drama and genealogy. The choice of programmes can be overwhelming – just take a look at the Apple Itunes podcast library for all the categories.
Here is just a small sample of all the podcasts related to “Books” Some are produced by people who also have blogs, others come from commercial media outlets such as The Guardian. The New Yorker.
You’ll also find podcasts via the websites of some of the big broadcasters, like the BBC A Good Read which is one of my favourites.
Go Back To School
A less well known feature is ITunes University where some of the leading education establishments have made material from their courses available. Don’t expect them to be highly polished productions – with some service providers, they have simply recorded the lecture so the audio quality will sometimes be a bit ropey (you won’t hear the question from the student for example). But what you will get are some highly interesting insights – I’ve listened in to some fascinating episodes on Shakespeare’s plays, children’s literature and the Romantic writers for example.
If you are afraid that your brain will turn to mush during the period of Covid-19 isolation, one solution would be to enrol for an online course. Just think how smug you’ll be come the summer (winter for you southern hemisphere folks).
MOOCs (Massive Online Open Course) have democratised education in recent years, making university level courses available to thousands of people around the world – and all free of charge. If you’ve never heard of MOOC, take a look at these Ted Talk videos to get an idea of what they can accomplish.
The range of subjects is staggering but since I suspect your main interest is in literature I’ve done some digging around and found these courses for you.
Walter Scott: The Man Behind the Monument
Delivered by the University of Aberdeen in Scotland via FutureLearn.com, this is course starts Monday, March 23. Over a four week period you’ll “discover the writer, collector and cultural icon who remains one of Scotland’s most enduring literary legends.”
Explore the English language through Shakespeare’s plays
Starting on April 6, this is a six week course via FutureLearn that looks at the life and works of William Shakespeare. Actors and experts around the world give insight about five of his plays and explain some of the universal themes he explored in his work.
Literature of the English Country House
Starting on May 4, this looks an interesting course which explores the literature of English country houses from the time of Thomas More to Oscar Wilde. I have a feeling that some book bloggers have taken previous presentations of this course so maybe can comment on their experience.
If you prefer to follow your own timetable the Open University “Open Learn” platform could be the answer. It offers a series of short modules taken from the syllabi of their distance learning courses. They’re all self -directed so you start whenever you want, and take as much time as you want. One module could be just 2 hours, others last 15 hours. Literature topics include Thomas Hardy’s Far From The Madding Crowd and Dickens’ Great Expectations. There are also three linked courses on the history of reading.
For something more challenging take a look at two courses offered by Havard through their edX platform.
Modern masterpieces of world literature started on March 18 but you might still be able to enrol. It covers a wide range of authors and texts from Goethe and Candide to Jorge Luis Borges and Lu Xun.
Also just got underway is a 12 week programme called The History of World Literature – – sounds perfect for those of you who love literature in translation.
I’m going to follow a mix of these ideas plus those highlighted by Lisa. I’ve already loaded up my Ipod with audiobooks and podcasts. And I’m thinking of enrolling for the English country house course. What are YOUR plans? Any strategies you are thinking of adopting to get you through this crisis?