S10E1 The Silence in Between: Josie Ferguson on separation from loved ones and wartime tragedy

“I had a friend who read an early version of the book, and she just said, well, I mean, it's a bit far fetched though, isn't it? And I was like, no, no, no, this did happen.” ~Josie Ferguson

Being separated from a loved one, never sure when you might be reunited again - a familiar feeling for many of us, having lived through the COVID lockdowns. But for Berlin residents alive in 1961, when the Berlin Wall was put up almost overnight, this happened on a devastating scale.

Josie Ferguson is the debut novelist of The Silence in Between, a dual-timeline historical story that follows Lisette, a mother separated from her newborn baby when the wall slices the city in two. The book follows her journey to escape East Berlin to be reunited with her child - but it also takes us back to Lisette’s childhood, during World War 2.

Josie explores the genesis of the book - her experience of being separated from her own family during covid, shortly after the birth of her child. She explores the connection between the atrocities of World War 2 and Russia’s war on Ukraine that still rages on. And she explores the long road as an unpublished author that led her to this moment.

In this episode you will learn:

• How familiar events of the past still have new stories to tell 
• Why it is vital we continue to write about the tragedies of wartime
• Why determination in the face of failure is essential as a writer

Find out more about Josie here.

Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.

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You can view the full transcript here.

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