This event has now finished.
  • Date and time: Friday 7 June 2024, 6pm to 7pm
  • Location: Online only
  • Admission: Free admission, booking required

Event details

Zippi Spitzer and David Wisnia’s story began when they first locked eyes across the work floor. It was the start of a romance that could have unfolded anywhere if it weren’t for one key difference: Zippi and David were prisoners in history’s most infamous death camp.

David and Zippi defied the odds by surviving for years beneath the ash-choked skies of Auschwitz. Shielded by the protection of their fellow inmates, saved on occasion by their own ingenuity and twists of fate, their love affair reminded them that their old world still existed - a world of possibilities, of freedom and desire. As the war’s end drew near, little did they know just how far their lives would diverge and how many years would pass before they would meet again.

Join journalist Keren Blankfeld for an unbelievable true story of romance, sacrifice, loss and resilience. Drawing on her book, Lovers in Auschwitz, Keren will chronicle the lives of two young people ensnared in the Nazis’ horrific creation, who discovered hope and humanity in history’s darkest hour.

This event will take place live on Zoom Webinar. You will receive a link to join a couple of days before the event and a reminder an hour before. During the event, you can ask questions via a Q&A function, but audience cameras and microphones will remain muted throughout.

Book sales

You can buy copies of many of our speakers’ books from Fox Lane Books, a local independent bookseller and Festival partner. In some cases, author signed bookplates are available too. 

About the speaker

Keren Blankfeld is a long-form journalist with a special interest in investigative narrative nonfiction. A former staff writer for Forbes Magazine, her stories have appeared in the New York Times, Forbes, Reuters, The Toronto Star and others. She teaches reporting and writing at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and has also taught at the New York University's Graduate School, USA. She has been a guest on CNN, BBC World News and E! Entertainment. In 2013, Keren served as a creative executive at New Regency Productions, where she worked with screenwriters and playwrights to develop material for movies and TV shows. She holds a B.A. in International Relations and English from Tufts University and an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University, USA.

Partners