BOOK LAUNCH & IN CONVERSATION - with Andra Putnis
Wednesday 3 July, 6pm
Harry Hartog ANU Campus
153-11 University Ave, Acton ACT
Free Event:
This is a free event but reservations are essential to manage numbers.
Please RSVP here.
Andra Putnis will be in conversation with Alex Sloan on her compelling debut book, Stories My Grandmothers Didn't Tell Me: Two women's journeys from war-torn Europe to a new life in Australia – Allen & Unwin
When she breaks an unspoken family code not to dig too deep into the past, Andra is plunged into the bleak world of the Soviet and Nazi occupations of Latvia in World War II, and secret lives of her grandmothers.
'An elegant, absorbing story of ordinary people thrown into extraordinary crisis.' - Peter Greste
'Anyone with untold stories flowing through their DNA will find home and understanding here. I felt my own grandmother speaking to me...' - Amy Remeikis
'Deeply moving, brilliantly crafted and powerfully written' - Biff Ward
'An Australian born granddaughter discovering the stories of her Latvian grandmothers and their lives lived in very different times and circumstances...a compelling read.' - Ilze Thomas
About the Author
Andra is an Australian writer with Latvian heritage living on Ngunnawal and Ngambri country in Canberra with her partner and two children. Andra completed a Bachelor of Arts / Law at the Australian National University majoring in History in 2001 and is finalising a Master’s Degree specialising in qualitative research and storytelling. Andra grew up close to her two Latvian grandmothers – but they were reticent to fully speak about what truly happened to them during the Second World War and she was afraid to ask too many questions. As a young adult Andra had the opportunity to finally piece together their stories and better understand her Latvian heritage.
Venue
Harry Hartog ANU
153-11 University Ave, Acton ACT