Commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp

I have recently been researching material in the archives of the Belsen Memorial, Germany, and have been invited to attend the commemorative events that will be held on 26 April to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen.

My connection with Belsen history is through my father, a British doctor, who while working for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Association became Medical Superintendent of the hospital at the Belsen Displaced Persons camp in September 1945. This camp was housed in a huge German army  ‘kaserne’ (barracks) a couple of kilometres from the site of the concentration camp. Since the departure of the DPs in 1950 it has been a British army base.    

This photo accompanied an article in the Nursing Mirror, April 1946

This photo accompanied an article in the Nursing Mirror, April 1946

Visiting the site of both the concentration camp and the Displaced Persons camp a few months ago, I was intrigued by the multi-layered story of this place. With the British Army due to leave Höhne Base in the middle of this year, this milestone coincides with the 70th anniversary of the events that brought the British to Belsen. 

2015 Bookings...

I am looking forward to meeting teachers at the Professional Learning Day at Sydney University on Friday 13 March, and to visiting the new Deakin Library in the Waterfront at Geelong on Tuesday 24 March. See Events page for details.

August 27th, 2015

I will be visiting St Mel's Catholic Primary School in Campsie during Bookweek. 

 

ALEA/AATE Conference, Darwin, July

Good to meet so many new colleagues at the ALEA/AATE Conference, especially those who came to my Circle Story Workshop.  A great way to make connections, and so good to hear each others' stories! Hope you are continuing to share your stories with your families, friends and students.  Thanks to Robyn Ewing and Helen Chatto for inviting me to the conference, and to all the volunteers who worked so hard to organise the event. 

"In Conversation" with Caroline Jones, 30 October 2013

Thank you to everyone who came to the "In Conversation" last week, especially to Caroline Jones who asked me such interesting questions about my new book, AUSTRALIANS ALL. Thank you, too, to the Faculty of Education and Social Work in the University of Sydney, which organised the event, and especially to our host, Professor Robyn Ewing. 

It was fascinating for me to see how the audience responded to the power of story — unadorned by technology or visual aides.  It was a great reminder that human beings love to listen to the spoken word.  

I was also very interested in the question posed by a member of the audience, as to how the current generation of Australian children will develop a sense of belonging to country and even identity as Australians, given that so few urban kids any longer have any connection with bushland.   

News

In a recent schools tour of the Murrimbidgee Irrigation Area, it was great to meet students, teachers and librarians at primary and secondary schools in Leeton, Griffith, Narranderah and Colleanbilly. Thanks, everyone, for making me feel so welcome. 

Children's Book Week

Congratulations to all the writers, illustrators and publishers who have been successful in this year's Children's Book Council of Australia Awards. I am currently very busy going to schools for Children's Book Week... It is great to meet so many enthusiastic young readers as well as their dedicated teachers and teacher-librarians.