Author of the The People Smuggler Robin de Crespigny will be the guest speaker.

She will talk about the real-life story of Ali Al Jenabi, an asylum seeker.

“When Ali Al Jenabi fled Saddam Hussein’s torture chambers he was forced to leave his family behind in Iraq. He was thrown into a frightening world of fake passports, crowded camps and illegal border crossings,” Ms de Crespigny said.

“Ali’s story is about keeping one’s humanity while taking whatever path he could out of an impossible situation. 

“He was faced with the dilemma of getting his family out of danger. 

“To ensure they safely crossed dangerous waters, Ali supervised some boat crossings. 

“Because of this, he was tried in Australia as a ‘people smuggler’. 

“It is eye-opening that the Australian judge in Ali’s court case likened Ali to Oskar Schindler whom the judge said saved many lives.”

Ms de Crespigny’s talk will begin at 12 noon on Sunday, March 23 in Nowra Library’s downstairs meeting room.

All are welcome to attend; there is no admission fee.