Damian Barr: You Will Be Safe Here

How does the past connect with the present? Damian Barr’s novel You Will Be Safe Here traces the lives of Sarah and Fred, forced into a camp during the second Boer War, alongside the story of 16-year-old Willem who is sent to the New Dawn Safari Training Camp which promises to “make men out of boys” in 2011. Damian deftly illustrates how the cruelty of Empires and individuals play across time. The literary salon host, and acclaimed author of his memoir Maggie & Me, discusses South African history, hope, homophobia and the true story that inspired this extraordinary first novel.

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Renouf Foyer, Michael Fowler Centre, New Zealand Festival
Cost: $29