Author launches second POW book

Karen Watkins|Published 10 months ago

Arno Watson of Parklands with Lodewyk Vosloo of Fish Hoek and André Olivier of Somerset West who is Karen Horn's husband. Pictures: Karen Watkins

Author of Prisoners of Jan Smuts, Karen Horn promoted her book at V&A Exclusive books on Thursday April 25. In conversation with radio talk show host, Pippa Hudson the book was released three weeks ago and is already on the best seller non-fiction list.

Marisa Raffinetti from Knysna had a family member who was a POW. With her is Cor Van Der Merwe from Observatory.

The book recounts the stories of survival and shenanigans through the eyes of five Italian Prisoners Of War (POWs) who were incarcerated in South Africa during World War II. Horn has documented their experiences from memoirs, letters and interviews with one of them. The government of Jan Smuts saw them as a source of cheap labour that would contribute to harvesting schemes, road-building projects such as the old Du Toit's Kloof Pass between Paarl and Worcester and even to prickly-pear eradication schemes. Italians who stayed include sculptor Edoardo Villa and businessman Aurelio Gatti who built an ice-cream empire.

Ryno Cilliers from Somerset West, left, with Kelvin Bosch from Rylands who is tracing his family connection to Pietro Ferrero, founder of an Italian confectionery and chocolatier company that also invented Nutella.

Horn is a historian and an author who lives in Somerset West. Her first book, In Enemy Hands: South Africa's POWs in WWII, was nominated for the Alan Paton Sunday Times non-fiction award in 2016.

Radio talk show host, Pippa Hudson of Rosebank in conversation with historian and an author, Karen Horn who lives in Somerset West.

John Abel of Tamboerskloof enjoying the launch with Deanne Vorster of Milnerton.