Walking in West Cornwall with my Great Aunt Hilde, Murdered in Auschwitz. Some Poems.

Ben Barkow will be reading some poems that he has written about his family’s experiences during the Holocaust, especially his great aunt Hilde and her siblings, who included his grandfather. He will introduce the poems with a description of the background and how he came to write them.

Ben Barkow was born in Berlin but grew up and was educated in London. He worked for 30 years at the Wiener Holocaust Library, 20 of them as its Director. The Wiener Holocaust Library is the oldest collection of books and archives on the Holocaust in the world and the UK’s largest. He retired from there in 2019.

Today he chairs the Academic Advisory Board of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation, which is establishing the UK’s national Holocaust Memorial next to the Houses of Parliament.

He is a Trustee of the Holocaust Centre North, a survivor organisation based in Leeds and Huddersfield, as well as the Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation. In 2022 he was awarded the CBE for services to Holocaust commemoration and education. He has published a number of books.

Tickets are allocated by a ballot system. Please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or call 01736 364474 to be entered into the ballot for a ticket. The ballot closes on Monday 22nd January. Entry to this event is free but donations are welcomed to help support Morrab Library (suggested £5). Refreshments will be provided after the talk.