Review: How to Paint a Dead Man

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Diane Armstrong ... "the wheel of my life has turned full circle."

POSTED: 02 SEPTEMBER 2009

Polish Embassy honours Diane Armstrong*

When Polish Ambassador to Australia, Mr Andrzej Jaroszynski, read Diane Armstrong’s novel Nocturne, he described it as “the first book on Poland and World War II written in English with heart, knowledge and imagination”.

He has now invited award-winning author Diane Armstrong, who was born in Poland, to be the guest of the Polish Embassy at two functions in her honour to be held in Canberra in September.

These events, which have been timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, will feature Nocturne, which is set in Warsaw and London during the war.

A literary evening with Diane Armstrong will be held at the Embassy on 9 September. On the following evening, 10 September, Diane will be the speaker at a dinner in the boardroom of the National Press Club where the subject of her talk will be betrayal.

The political betrayal of Poland by all its allies resonates with us today, as an illustration of the double-dealing of politicians and the expediency of alliances. In Nocturne, betrayal on the international stage is reflected in the personal lives of the characters.

“Receiving this tribute from the Polish Embassy feels as though the wheel of my life has turned full circle,” Diane said.

“I was born in Krakow just before the war began, and I survived the Holocaust with my parents thanks to a Catholic priest who refused to let the villagers betray us and turn us over to the Gestapo.

“I wrote Nocturne to explore Poland’s tragic wartime experiences, to tell the story of the heroic people of Warsaw, and also to come to an understanding of my own past.

“Being invited by the Polish Embassy to speak about my novel and my life on the anniversary of the outbreak of the war illustrates the power of destiny.”

*Based on media release issued by HarperCollins.

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