June themes for the Year of Reading
Anne Frank's birthday, and Pride month
This month is an opportunity to combine some of the big themes of June with reading.
Anne Frank
On the 12 June it would have been Anne Frank’s 97th birthday. Anne was murdered by the Nazis for being Jewish as one of the 6+ million victims of the Holocaust. Unlike millions of other children killed as a result of Nazi actions we know about Anne, her thoughts, aspirations and feelings, because of a diary she kept that was published after the Second World War. Anne’s diary is a pertinent reminder of the real lives that were destroyed during the Nazi genocide against the Jews. It is also filled with inspiration for the values that can be held onto even when things appear to be impossible. June is a great month to read or reread Anne’s words.
- ‘So why did they go into hiding?’ Anne Frank in her historical and social context (Primary History article)
- Analysing Anne Frank: a case study in the teaching of thinking skills (Teaching History article)
- Using the Anne Frank House's 'A Family Secret' (Teaching History article)
Pride month
June is also Pride month. Although the HA tends to celebrate LGBTQ+ events in February as that is LGBTQ+ History Month, we don’t believe that inclusion and representing the full rainbow of history (I hope you see what we did there) should ever be restricted to a single month. Therefore, during June's Pride month take a look at some of our supporting articles about the LGBTQ+ community and how their lifestyles and experiences have changed and been treated over the centuries.
Breaking news: HA and Ally Sherrick at Chalke Valley
The Historical Association will be appearing at the Chalke Valley History Festival with former Young Quills winner Ally Sherrick. We will be in discussion with Ally about her latest book Rebel Heart as well as discussing her previous books including prizewinner Black Powder. Catch us in the tent in Wiltshire on Saturday 27 June.