In the span of just weeks, Camden Douthwright and Natalie Maillard will add the titles of high school graduates and creators of a book to their resumes.
The grade 12 students of Harrison Trimble High School are set to roll out Project Unimaginable, an anthology featuring literary work created by teens from across the globe.
With submissions from countries including the USA, Germany and Ireland, as well as provinces such as Ontario and Quebec, Project Unimaginable shares how teens from all walks of life experienced the pandemic.
The 114-page book features several different types of work, including prose, poetry, journals and spoken word.
“If it stuck to the theme of covid, had any ties to the pandemic or even mental health over quarantine, it was included,” said Douthwright, the book’s Editor-in-chief.
The idea was created when Douthwright had a writing class cut short due to the beginning of the pandemic. In the course, a literary journal was assigned as one of the projects, and with help from his teacher Mr.Moore, Douthwright set his sights on creating Project Unimaginable.
With such a daunting task at hand, Camden began working with Natalie who was responsible for public relations, including communicating with teens interested in contributing.
Over the last year, the duo has not only endured the effects of the pandemic, but also the responsibilities of being a graduating student that can often be overlooked.
“We’re also graduates this year, we’re working and doing so many things so at times it was really stressful,” said Maillard, who describes the whole process as an emotional rollercoaster.
With little experience in the operations of creating a book, Toronto author Mark Sampson provided his expertise to help organize the anthology.
“He was essential in the editing process,” said Douthwright “This was my first time going through editing or publishing a book and I really didn’t know much about it.”
Now with much of the heavy lifting and fine detailing out of the way, Douthwright and Maillard are happy to look back on what is a major accomplishment.
“It gave me a sense of purpose and provided a light in the darkness of the pandemic,” said Douthwright.
“The most special part was being able to reach so many people and help with their mental health,” added Maillard.
The anthology is now in the printing stage, with over 250 copies set to be completed in June and given to contributors as well as local libraries and schools.