Atwood, Grisham among contributors to pandemic novel 'Fourteen Days'

One of the first novels about the pandemic will be a collaborative effort, with Margaret Atwood (right), and John Grisham among the writers. Photo: AP

One of the first novels about the pandemic will be a collaborative effort, with Margaret Atwood, John Grisham and Celeste Ng among the writers.

The Authors Guild Foundation announced recently that it had reached a deal with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books & Media to publish Fourteen Days: An Unauthorized Gathering. The story is set on a Manhattan rooftop in 2020 as the virus spreads worldwide and the rich are fleeing the city. Novelist and Authors Guild President Douglas Preston came up with the idea as a way to raise money for the foundation.