This special issue of the World Leisure Journal will address leisure and aging internationally. While free time itself may have changed with the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, leisure behaviors and patterns have also shifted dramatically. We have seen a drastic reduction to leisure, with the pandemic affecting everything from international travel to opportunities for connection that typically occur in social leisure spaces. However, interesting patterns of self-expression and health-protective activities have also emerged.

The Leisure Studies Graduate Paper Award is sponsored by Taylor and Francis and is intended to support the development of outstanding scholarship by graduate students working in leisure studies across the world. The award will be made to a graduate student who submits a lead-authored paper for consideration by a panel of judges, including representatives from the journal’s Managing Editors and Editorial Board.