Golden Times September 2016

LOCAL AUTHOR NOMINATED FOR LITERARY AWARD
Local author, Dorit Oliver-Wolff, has been nominated for the
prestigious People’s Book Prize, an award that recognises the
talent of new and undiscovered authors from across the UK. At
the time of going to press the voting was about to close, let's
hope we can report on her victory in the next issue!
Dorit is delighted to be nominated for the prize: “I am absolutely
amazed and over the moon. It’s already a big honour being
nominated, but to win would be a dream come true. The book
should be read because people can learn from it and improve the
future for all of us.”
Dorit’s moving memoir, From Yellow Star
to Pop Star, follows her from the age of
four, performing for the former king of
Yugoslavia, through the traumas of the
Holocaust, which left her bald and weighing
just three stone aged nine. After a series
of horrific events, Dorit was spotted by a
talent scout – and the rest is history.
Dorit has dedicated her life to educating
people about the consequences of the
Holocaust. Although her experiences were
horrific, Dorit’s overriding message is a
positive one. She teaches her audiences that in order to have a
better future, we must show respect to each other regardless of
creed, colour, or religion.
When asked why she decided to write her memoir, Dorit said
“I wanted my son and daughter to know about my life before they
were born. I wanted to depict how the Holocaust never stops and
what one is forced to do just to survive another day. The title says it
all, I wanted to tell my story; how I came from dire circumstances
to become a singing sensation. Stories get forgotten if they are not
told, and I wanted to do everything in my power to keep my story
alive.”
In addition to her writing, Dorit also gives talks to local groups
and schools. These are hugely popular, as the following
The author and her book
testimonial from the treasurer of the Eastbourne Medical
Society shows:
On the 17th of May we were entertained by Dorit Oliver-Wolff with a
talk entitled “From Yellow Star to Pop Star”
I think it would be fair to say that her audience was riveted from the
first sentence. The photos of her life were moving in the extreme, her
description of her horrors that she lived through, and her amazing
coping strategy of song, was memorable and very uplifting.
I feel that Dorit should be encouraged to speak to every child of school
age, and every politician in the world. We need
enthusiastic, honest, articulate speakers to
help ensure that the world is freed from such
terrors for evermore, (although, sadly it seems
prevalent in many countries again, when will
mankind ever learn?)
I would thoroughly recommend Dorit as a
speaker to all age groups, I think her clear
presentation would make children aware of
the situation, even if most of them cannot
comprehend a world where occasional potato
peelings are a dietary treat! Please keep up the
good work Dorit.
You can buy Dorit’s memoir from all good online retailers and
local bookshops, and if you’d like to hear her talk, you can
catch her on the following dates:
12th September: Wayfinder Woman, Crown & Anchor,
Eastbourne, 7-9pm
28th September: The Good Life Exhibition, Winter Garden,
Eastbourne, supported by The Senior Forum and Age Concern,
10am-5pm
31st October: Congress Theatre, Astrid Circle, 7.30pm-9pm
If you would like to book Dorit for a pubic speaking
engagement, please contact 01323726613 or 07717246295
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