I've been asked many times how I was able to recreate the detail of scenes while writing The Freedom Circus. At 94, did Nanna remember every detail so vividly? No she didn't. One of my secrets was to use daily newspapers, including circus reviews which were amazingly helpful to recreate the moment. I was also very fortunate that artist Marina Amaral colourised black and white images I found in the Polish national archive. Through her work, she brought the circus to life in real time. Such as images of Pop, taken when the circus was performing in Krakow in 1936. When colourised it gave me precise detail of his costume & surrounds. That smile would light up thousands of faces burdened by impending war and the shadow of Hitler, and would entertain the Nazis so his family and many others could escape. While the Nazis laughed, they lived.
Marina's books The World Aflame & The Colour of Time are extraordinary. I feel so privileged to have her work on The Freedom Circus
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The Freedom Circus: One family’s death-defying act to escape the Nazis and start a new life in Australia