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Displacement: Zweig, Roth and Benjamin - three eminent writers hunted to death by fascism
His Honour Richard Harper
Three renowned Jewish intellectuals hunted to death by fascism -
Why did Stefan Zweig take his own life AFTER he reached safety in Brazil?
Why did Joseph Roth drink himself to death?
What if Walter Benjamin had waited just one more day in his attempt to escape?
Could this all happen again in modern Europe?
Speaker’s Profile—How two writing buses came at once!
I studied law at Oxford and practised as a barrister. Subsequently I have had the privilege
and responsibility of a long career as a senior family law judge. Alongside this has been the continuing proud exploration and understanding of my Judaism together with the love of my family.
I was supposedly retired from being a senior family law judge, but have now written two very different books published recently at the same time by two different publishers!
One is historical nonfiction: DISPLACEMENT, about the interconnected lives of 3 brilliant Jewish writers, Stefan Zweig, Joseph Roth and Walter Benjamin who were hunted to death by fascism. I, like so many others, simply became captivated by the drama of both the lives and the manner of the deaths of these three men alongside their brilliant
writing.
The other is The FAMILY COURT IN PRACTICE a safeguarding guide for all practitioners working with children. This work flows of course from my judicial career.
The two books I have now written are, on the face of it, very different yet
both are essentially driven by, and reflect, the same humane principles. DISPLACEMENT is a succinct historical work of non-fiction concerning three brilliant Jewish literary writers who were persecuted by the Nazis and tragically took their own lives. The Family Court in Practice is a guide to safeguarding the welfare of children and the practical workings of the family court borne of my judicial experience.
Both books reflect my judicial antennae to examine, and where possible, ameliorate injustice. Also permeating both works are the tenets of my Judaism: including the need for empathy, justice and compassion towards humanity.
My book DISPLACEMENT will I hope contribute
to keeping alive the memory of three great Jewish writers, and once again exemplify the nature of the inexplicable horrors perpetrated against the Jewish people. Unfortunately, many children continue to suffer today the injustice of abuse by adults, often their carers. My book The Family Court in Practice I hope will assist all practitioners working with children- social workers, teachers, doctors, nurses, religious institutions etc-in the practical tasks of seeking to safeguard the
welfare of children, all of whom deserve and require our protection.
