Today, marks the anniversary of Holocaust memorial day. For many people, today is a sad day full of reflection.
To remember the millions of people that died during the Holocaust, many people usually light a candle and place it on their window to symbolise those who lost their lives. The theme of this year’s memorial day is: ‘Be the light in the darkness’. Today does not just remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, but also the millions of other people killed under Nazi Persecution and in genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. This international day of remembrance is to mark all innocent people who have lost their lives, and encourage awareness and education in an attempt to prevent such tragedy occurring again.
The recent few years have seen an incredible rise in books that tell the story of the Holocaust, and it has been so important to see this so popularly explored in literature and so widely read. There was a point in society where Jews never thought they would be able live safely, embracing their identity. There are still many who are antisemitic towards Jewish people and exist as a reminder to the threat of their safety, but the increase in books about the horrifying past of the Holocaust is an important step in the right direction of shedding awareness on the horrific past that Jewish people lived through, and still haunts many today.
At Literature Society, we want to highlight some of the most important pieces of literature about the Holocaust, and suggest recommended reading if you haven’t heard of these texts before. Though it is likely you have heard of these texts, they are always worth a reread. Many of these texts are very emotional and heart-breaking reads, however, the topics discussed within them are very real, and though the content can be hard to read, it is very important.
Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Anne Frank was a really normal young girl, enjoying her life, when her family was deeply impacted by the Holocaust. Her documentation of the events that followed her family is deeply upsetting, and Anne’s diary entries are incredibly moving.
Once by Morris Gleitzman
This story follows a young child who is separated from his parents and starts a deeply emotional journey to try and find them again. The book has been turned into a series and is best for younger readers, but still highly emotional for older readers.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
This is an incredibly moving, and heart-breaking story. You may have seen the film version of this book, and the book is really important in showing how deeply the Holocaust impacted innocent children.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
This fictional story explores love and tragedy within the concentration camp of Auschwitz.
Night by Elie Wiesel
Elie was a Holocaust survivor himself and spent his life dedicated to educating others about the Holocaust.
You can find more texts and recommendations on these links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holocaust_in_the_arts_and_popular_culture
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/germany/articles/11-devastating-holocaust-books-that-you-should-read/
https://fivebooks.com/best-books/holocaust-steven-katz/
So while we look back, we must look forwards too, and make sure the mistakes of the past are never repeated again. For many, the strategy of the past seems impossible to imagine, however sadly, in many places across the world, people are still being persecuted because of their identity, and many deaths of innocent people are being ignored. It is our responsibility to shed light on these issues whenever we see them, and not let it sweep under the rug.
On twitter, under the hashtag #StandTogether, many people are sharing the names and stories of those who sadly did not survive the Holocaust. You can find out more at this link, https://www.hmd.org.uk/standtogether/, or head over to twitter and help make sure the names of those who lost their lives aren’t even forgotten.
There is a virtual Holocaust memorial day service available at 7pm tonight for anyone who would like to pay their respects, and honour the memory of those who tragically lost their lives. You can also take part in the memorial aspect of the day by lighting a candle and putting it on your window at 8pm tonight. https://www.hmd.org.uk/uk-holocaust-memorial-day-2021-ceremony/
UEA Literature Society 