 George Szirtes teaches at the Norwich School of Art and Design |
A poet whose mother survived a concentration camp is marking Holocaust Memorial Day with a talk in Norfolk. Hungarian George Szirtes, who lives in Wymondham, Norfolk, will be addressing staff and councillors at South Norfolk Council in Long Stratton on Friday.
Mr Szirtes will be using poetry to reflect on his family's experiences.
"My mother survived Ravensbruck concentration camp and my father did forced labour in a series of camps on the Russian front," he said.
"Both were fortunate to escape. My mother's family was entirely wiped out, as were most parts of my father's," said Mr Szirtes, who has just been chosen as the winner of the prestigious TS Elliot prize for poetry.
'Need to be reminded'
"The extraordinary thing is that this was not at all extraordinary. None of them were special people. They were special only by virtue of surviving."
South Norfolk Council's chief executive, Geoff Rivers said: "It is 60 years since the reality of the Nazi's Final Solution was uncovered.
"We all need to be continually reminded of the lessons from the Holocaust.
"Perhaps the most effective way to learn is to speak directly to survivors and their families."
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