By Siddhi Jain

New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS): Indian author, Ruskin Bond, and British spoken-word artist George the Poet – widely known for kicking off the Royal Wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry with his poem – are among the six prominent authors and poets to have created fifteen original positive short stories of love, friendship, community, work, hope and family, as a signal of love and optimism in these trying times.

The stories were commissioned on behalf of Nokia phones and have been created and designed to be shared with loved ones as Short Moving Stories (SMS) – short, text-able messages of hope.

According to Nokia, this collaboration comes after a year in which people worldwide have learnt to slow down and find new ways to stay in touch with their lives and loved ones by using their phones, with the artists designing messages of hope to give people a way to connect and inspire each other.

According to Stephen Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer at Nokia phones, "if the last year has shown us anything it's the importance of positivity. Following nearly a year of isolation and vulnerability one thing that stood out to us is the power of people's collective voices to spread positivity in a time of need, which is also at the core of our business and ties back to our Finnish roots – Finland has consecutively won the title of being the happiest country in the world. So we are championing positive voices from around the world to spread uplifting messages, and help support each other as we come through the other side of global lockdowns."

Veteran author Ruskin Bond said: "In a world of constant ups and downs, what helps us survive is the comfort we find in words spoken by our loved ones. These words have the power to create magic and help us through the toughest of times. I hope that my short stories help people in expressing their feelings to their loved and special ones. Share along."

As per critically acclaimed poet, podcaster and spoken word artist George the Poet, sometimes a few words can make all the difference. "We've all experienced how some days can feel flat and endless, especially as we can't see our friends and family. Like the new Nokia 5.4, I hope that my poems help you stay connected and in touch with your loved ones, until we can all be together again."

The Panel of Positivity also includes James McInerney (UK), George Kagwe (Kenya), Alina Balashova, and Juan Pablo Gaviria (Bogotá, Colombia).