Hi Stefan, George, Robert, and anyone involved in the memorial/museum project.
I took courage in my hands and called Norman Davies - and he is
ON!!! Didn't get our mail, but I explained everything, and he is happy to join forces. The only thing we must be careful of is not to make him work for it - rather use his name, and then, when the time comes, use him for speeches and publicity. He is very much an impractical academic and would hate any idea of being involved in money raising, etc.
Please, send him another e-mail, maybe preceeding it with smg like: we are so excited, having heard from Jagna, etc,etc...
And here is another thing, which I find difficult to keep to myself. My friend asked me for a French version of the Odyssey, for a Paris publisher for whom she is working. He is very famous, very well connected, very rich - and at the age of 60 +
is looking for a worthy cause to support. And, believe it or not, his idee fix is... the first in the Western world museum to the victims of Soviet oppression!!! When he heard from Ania of our story, he asked for the film (wanted it NOW) and a meeting over X-mas holidays, so that we can start plotting - he obviously needs more knowledge on the subject, his approach is mainly emotional - so the Polish story can be a sort of 'introduction' (his other link with Poland is his adopted children). Best of all, Norman Davies agreed to be the patron of the museum as well! At a discussion with politicians at the Im.War Museum, at the Odyssey premiere, he told a story of his failed attempt to attract attention of his fellow academics to the Soviet attrocities. All his efforts were in vain - almost no one came to a meeting with a few Russian dissidents, former inmates of the Gulag. So, he too has a 'bee in his bonet' on this subject - but being almost the only British historian who had enough integrity to point out the injustice of closing the eyes to the Soviet crimes, he is quite disliked amongst the British academia - so I am a bit sceptical about George's optimism as to the 'power' of his name. But let's try.
On second thoughts, as he is so old fashioned, maybe it is better to write him a letter?
Good luck,
Jagna
