Letters From Lockdown: Famous faces, frontline workers and stay-at-home heroes reflect on the year everything changed

Introduced by newsreader, presenter, and Barnardos president Natasha Kaplinsky, Letters From Lockdown features 100+ letters from celebrity names, COVID heroes, and a diverse range of members of the public, all answering the question - What was lockdown like for you?\r\n\r\nContributors include: Paul McCartney * Joe Wicks * Malala Yousafzai * Ed Sheeran * Helen Mirren * Cressida Cowell * Mary Berry * Richard Branson * Peppa Pig * Andy Murray * Helena Bonham Carter * Lenny Henry * Bruno Tonioli * Romesh Ranganathan * The family of Captain Tom * Bear Grylls * Charly Cox * Dr Alex George * Jacqueline Wilson * Matt Lucas * Monica Galetti * Kelly Holmes * Bill Gates* Sir Mo Farah and many more.\r\n\r\nThe publisher will donate all profits, which will be a minimum of GBP1.50 for each copy of the book sold, to Barnardos (registered charity in England and Wales no. 216250), who do important work to protect and support the UKs most vulnerable children, more in need now than ever.\r\n\r\nThe letter writers include doctors and nurses, care home staff and vaccinators, train drivers and hairdressers, teachers and environmentalists - people who have been on the frontline in tackling the pandemic, or in trying to get the world back on its feet. Other letters document the unforgettable lighter moments of the past year: interviews crashed by children, TikTok triumphs and disasters, and Goats joining Zoom meetings. Each offers their unique perspective on the year everything changed.\r\n\r\nOther contributors include: Al Gore; Alexandra Shulman, Davina McCall, Toby Regbo, Trevor McDonald, Jo Malone, Keir Starmer, Boris Johnson, Mark Ronson, Maro Itoje, Nicola Adams, Raymond Blanc, Richard Curtis and Emma Freud, Chris Van Dusen, Sita Brahmachari, Sophie Gonzales, Hayden Kays, Tim Peake, Sean Fitzpatrick, and Joan Collins.\r\n\r\nThe idea for the book came from Natasha Kaplinskys children, Arlo and Kika. They wrote an open letter, wanting to understand other peoples experiences of lockdown. Their question, What was lockdown like for you? is the prompt; the collection of letters in response form the book. As we keep our fingers crossed that this summer will bring a safe end to restrictions, this mixture of funny, sad, heart-warming, surprising, heroic and honest experiences will mark the start of a period of reflection.