Central hosts book launch for Nagasaki: The Forgotten Prisoners
This autumn, Central was pleased to host a special launch event to celebrate the release of Nagasaki: The Forgotten Prisoners.
Written by the Chair of Central’s Board of Governors, John Willis, this unique book uses unpublished and rarely seen notes, diaries, interviews and memoirs to tell the harrowing stories of the forgotten Nagasaki prisoners of war, in their own voices.
Despite the horrors they faced, this is a story of resilience, comradeship and hope.
Amidst malnutrition, forced labour, disease and brutality, these prisoners of war also used theatre and performance as vital survival tools, operating a 2,000 seat open air theatre at a hospital camp on the River Kwai Railway to provide entertainment for those who were too sick or injured to work. Theatre not only offered a distraction from the horrors that these prisoners faced daily, it also showed that whatever was thrown at them their spirit could not be extinguished.
Nagasaki: The Forgotten Prisoners weaves together a powerful chorus of voices to paint a vivid picture of defeat, endurance, and survival against astonishing odds.
Survivors and their families, together with friends of School, were welcomed at the event where Central’s Principal, Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE, gave a live reading of extracts from the book.
John Willis is one of Britian’s best known television executives. He is a former Director of Programmes at Channel 4 and Director of Factual Learning at the BBC. He was Vice-President of National Programs at WGBH Boston. In 2012 he was elected as Chair of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). He is currently Chair of Mentorn Media, producers of Question Time for BBC. He is also the author of Churchill’s Few and Secret Letters.
John was appointed Chair of Central’s Board of Governors in 2017.
To find out more about Nagasaki: The Forgotten Prisoners, listen to an interview with John on WGBH Boston/ National Public Radio’s culture programme All Things Considered.
