This collection of first-person narratives, which carries a diverse range of voices and testimonials about the impact of the Pandemic, reads like a first draft of history. Namita Gokhale, Writer and co-director, Jaipur Literature Festival For those who have lived through the Covid-19 pandemic, life will never be the same again. This once-in-a-lifetime calamity has transformed the way we look at ourselves and the world around us. Not one individual has been left untouched by it. What does it mean to those who have survived and lived to tell the tale? Will there ever be any closure for the millions who have lost their loved ones, their livelihoods and a whole way of life? Through twenty diverse and compelling experiences of individuals living through an unprecedented global pandemic, A World on Hold chronicles a historic period which brought the whole world to a standstill. It documents the voices of not only the well-heeled and privileged Ð parliamentarian and author Shashi Tharoor, actor Vidya Balan, celebrity chef Shilarna Vaze and celebrated editor Nonita Kalra Ð but also those whose voices and stories were relegated to mere numbers: an anonymous police officer, a migrant worker, a gravedigger, a cabin crew member and even a Covid-19 human challenge volunteer, among others.