Authors at Caversham: Ian Cosh on Listening, Memory and the Trauma of War
An informal talk, reading, and discussion exploring listening, memory, and the difficulty of narrating painful experiences.
Ian Cosh is a writer and anthropologist based in Toronto. His work draws on oral history, ethnography, and psychodynamically informed approaches to memory and narrative. Ghosts of Ortona: Reckoning with the Traumas of Canadian World War II Veterans is his first book.
As a PhD student, Ian travelled across Canada, Italy, and Germany interviewing veterans and civilian survivors of the Battle of Ortona. In their stories, he encountered puzzling details and hints of things unspoken and unresolved. When the project ended, he wanted to leave it behind. Years later, he returned to his field notes and recordings, determined to understand what he’d missed.
The evening will include a short reading from Ghosts of Ortona, reflections on the research and writing process, and an open discussion.
This event is free, but please register if you are planning to attend, so we know how many people to expect!