Astrid Goldsmith & Wendy Holden: The Holocaust & the Next Generation

As the last generation of Holocaust survivors passes from living memory into history, how do we preserve their stories – and what happens when we don’t?
Writer and illustrator Astrid Goldsmith and bestselling historian and novelist Wendy Holden come together for a powerful conversation about family, memory and the legacies we inherit.
In her acclaimed graphic memoir The Crystal Vase, Goldsmith unravels the secrets, objects and tangled histories of her German-Jewish family.
Meanwhile, Holden’s The Teacher of Auschwitz fictionalises the extraordinary true story of Fredy Hirsch, whose courage helped protect hundreds of children inside the Nazi death camp.
Together, they explore how stories survive across generations, why remembrance matters, and what the past still has to teach us about identity, resilience and humanity today.
This event will be chaired by Leah Thorn, a spoken word poet, activist and filmmaker who believes in the power of art to challenge prejudice, confront difficult histories and change the world.
Folkestone Book Festival is our annual celebration of stories, ideas and conversation by the sea. Curated by novelist Sophie Haydock, this year’s festival brings together more than 60 events across two weeks, welcoming world-class writers, thinkers and storytellers to Folkestone.
The Festival is part of Folkestone is a Library, our ambitious town-wide celebration of reading, writing and storytelling, helping make Folkestone one of the UK’s most exciting literary destinations.