I’ve just read Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge. All white people should read Reni Eddo-Lodge’s book, even if they are anti-racists. Especially if they are anti-racists. For me, it is essential to learn what it is like to live as a black person in this country because […]
Why I want to thank Reni Eddo-Lodge for still talking about race Read More »
Nowadays, Stamford Hill is associated with the Orthodox Haredi Jewish community. Back in the 1930s, it was a ‘leafy suburb away from the hustle and bustle of the East End.’ Property was cheap and there were lots of houses available. Many first-generation Jewish migrants moved out of the East End to Stamford Hill for a
Memories of Stamford Hill Read More »
My paternal grandmother was one of eight children, and I have innumerable second cousins. I’ve never got to know many of them. But during lockdown, several of us shared a similar idea to research family history. We are all descended from my great-great grandfather Yaakov, who was born in Poland in the mid-19th century. Goldberg
In search of Yaakov Goldberg Read More »
During the lockdown, readers have been looking for titles that reflect their experiences. I’ve had a small flurry of interest in Stranded in the Six-Day War. People see some similarity between being marooned on a ship because of the external dangers and being cooped up in their homes to avoid Covid-19 infection. Derek Kelly One
Marooned in the Suez Canal, cocooned at home Read More »
At a time when the future seems so uncertain, it might feel reassuring to look back to the past. As an author of non-fiction titles, I’ve often found myself delving into history. But I know little about the background of my own family. Far From Home For many years, I have been involved in voluntary
Meeting my great-grandmother Read More »
As the Care4Calais volunteers set up to distribute jumpers to refugees in northern France, R comes over to say hi. It’s lovely to see the likeable 23-year-old Kurdish man again after 3 months. ‘Mama!’ he calls – a joke from last time when he found out I was volunteering alongside my daughter. He’s exactly the
Dream of the UK: Refugees in northern France Read More »
Twice this month, I’ll be giving an illustrated talk. It’s about the merchant ships that became trapped in the Suez Canal during the Six-Day War in 1967. University of Brighton I’ll be at the University of Brighton on 5 February 5.30 – 7pm Room G4, Grand Parade. It is part of the seminar series for
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Just metres away from a roundabout in Calais, a bunch of boys are playing an ad hoc cricket game. Another group warm themselves by a small wood fire – later, they’ll cook a meal on their makeshift stove. Eyeing them from the other side of the roundabout are a vanload of CRS police officers. CRS
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When US philatelist Eric Carlson found an unusual stamp on EBay, he ‘stumbled upon the remnants of a forgotten bit of world history, about a stranded convoy that built a community at the center of a war.’ Eric had discovered the Great Bitter Lake Association. New podcast 99% Invisible in the USA have produced an
The Cinderella stamps Read More »