I had the Launch of my second book at the Wiener Library in January 2016 and it was a great venue. Given the amount of use I made of their resources, it was great to be back there for my third book’s Launch. Ben Barkow, the Library’s Director kindly offered to host the Launch and it very quickly became fully booked. He opened the event by welcoming everyone to the Library and introducing the subject of women in the Holocaust and emphasizing its importance.
He was followed by Sir Eric Pickles in his capacity as UK Special Envoy for Post Holocaust Issues. He managed to reflect on the 100th anniversary of the Suffragettes getting the vote, my Book Launch and the return of the Spice Girls all happening in the same week. He made some very generous remarks about my books and handed over to Jon Jackson who was my Commissioning Editor at Amberley Books. He too was very generous about the quality of my writing and read a small section from the book about the brave young girls who were underground couriers – called Kashariyot. I then gave a shortened version of my PowerPoint presentation with my family’s story in the Holocaust in Hungary and then some of the stories in the book.
‘Women’s Experiences in the Holocaust’ book launch with Sir Eric Pickles and commissioning editor Jon Jackson (at the back).
Afterwards lots of books were sold by Blackwell’s and people queued for me to sign them. It is quite frustrating because I did not have time to chat to people properly. Some of the people who gave me stories for the book were present and we managed to get some of them together for the photo below.
People whose stories are in the book – Left to Right – Allen Lever, Brenda Silverman, Annick Lever, Warren Silverman, Agnes, Maggie Carver and Henri Obstfeld.
Annick Lever’s mother was Liliane Foks, Brenda Silverman’s mother was Johanna Stössel, Maggie Carver’s grandmother was Rachel Liebeschuetz and Henri Obstfeld’s parents were Jacoba and Abraham who made little books for him when he was a small in hiding elsewhere in Holland.
I was delighted to welcome Katherine Crouch, who is the current head of my old school, Sutton High School, amongst many friends and acquaintances present that evening.
Thanks to all the people at the Wiener Library who made the Launch such a success.
