A Global Literary Conversation: On Artists in Captivity with Simon Parkin and Susan Wider
Thursday, May 4, 2023
1–2pm
Virtual, EDT
Join us for the inaugural event of the Global Jewish Literary Alliance, with a conversation between authors Simon Parkin and Susan Wider, discussing their award-winning books.
Simon Parkin is the winner of the 2023 Wingate Prize for his book The Island of Extraordinary Captives: A Painter, a Poet, an Heiress, and a Spy in a World War II British Internment Camp. Susan Wider is the winner of the Young Adult Literature category of the 72nd National Jewish Book Awards for her book It’s My Whole Life: Charlotte Salomon: An Artist in Hiding During World War II. They will also be discussing the role of Jewish artists in the Holocaust and what their imprisonment meant to the Jewish world of art, and so much more.
The conversation will be moderated by Doron Krakow, president and CEO of JCC Association of North America. In addition, the evening will see the launch of the Global Jewish Literary Resource Center.
About the Global Jewish Literary Alliance
The Global Jewish Literary Alliance is an international collaboration that will provide resources and community for Jewish writers, and those writing books of Jewish interest. The Global Jewish Literary Alliance aims to encourage more writers to write Jewish content and explore what that might be, as well as provide annually updated resources to connect professionals and writers and create community. The Global Jewish Literary Resource Center will also provide information on funding opportunities, residences, and events for the Jewish writing community. If you know of any resources for the Jewish writing community and would like them included in our Resource Center, please submit them here!
The Alliance aims to support a global ecosystem of Jewish arts and culture, with a specific focus on the literary arts, ensuring writers have the resources they need to write Jewish books, that readers are aware of these works, and that Jewish communities and institutions have the resources they need to create meaningful programs and events around Jewish literature. The Covid pandemic showed the benefits of connecting with people around the world and showed the possibilities of trans-Atlantic collaborations, something upon which the Global Jewish Literary Alliance will expand.
The founding members of the GJLA are The Wingate Prize (UK), Jewish Book Council (US), JCC Association of North America (US and Canada) and JW3 (UK). Other international organizations will be invited to join as members in the future.