The Falling Mask

'Show, don't tell', it's the golden rule of cinema, and the core principle behind my autistic COVID-19 diary.

Kathryn Rose likes Harry Potter, Lego, designing archival publications for her employer, and quizzing supermarket executives about their financial reports on weekends. Then, after a lovely trip to London in March, she finds that someone has hit the 'mute' button on everyday life. Kathryn has high-functioning autism, and her new task is to continue functioning at a high level while the world around her turns into a pandemic movie.

This diary is about connection, a human need that came with challenges before the pandemic. As she spent the majority of lockdown alone in her flat, Kathryn was quick to make the most of 2020's digital communication boom. The online world certainly promises easy and convenient access to human connection; this diary explores how far that promise is delivered.

Kathryn states that she is one of the most determined people she has met, and this diary provides few grounds for questioning that statement; however, this is not just a diary about perseverance. Sometimes actions that seem logical have unintended consequences, and she invites the reader to laugh with her at these ludicrous situations.

This diary is a record of how one woman's persistence, curiosity, and humour enabled her to find joy in the little things. It's also a story of how the altered nature of connection during COVID-19 affected her ability to cope with the bigger challenges of an unforgettable year.