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Today I am taking part in the Random Things tour for The Wingate Prize. As part of this tour I read The Island of Extraordinary Captives.
This is the true story of the prisoners who were sent to the Isle of Man during the Second World War. It is a shocking story as many of these people had fled to Britain for safety on the kindertransport to escape Nazi persecution.
One of these people was Peter Fleischmann and this book shares his story of how he sought sanctuary, but ended up as a prisoner. When in May 1940, the British government ordered that all German and Austrian citizens living in Britain were interned and they were sent to the Isle of Man, despite having arrived to seek sanctuary.
This is fascinating account and shows the true resilience of the people who were sent to the camp.
The Wingate Literary Prize was established in 1977 by the late Harold Hyam Wingate. It is now run in association with JW3, the Jewish Community Centre.
Now in its 46th year, the annual prize is awarded to the best book, fiction or non-fiction, to translate the idea of Jewishness to the general reader. The winner receives £4,000.
