Last Thursday, in the company of family, friends and book lovers, nurse historian Pamela Wood launched my new novel Lives We Leave Behind at Technique Restaurant, Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin. Colleagues and students from the School of Hospitality set up the venue to resemble a military hospital base complete with canteen, flags and sandbags. They also themed the food to match the settings in the novel: NZ, Egypt and France. To signal the French phase, Monsieur R, complete with black beret and heavy accent, entered the room, blew a whistle and welcomed us to France. Bronwyn W-G and Erin from the University Book Shop sold out of books, Bronwyn H connected my Brisbane-based daughter online and Steve took the photos. Then when people left, the students, dressed in army uniforms, presented everyone with a beautiful hand-made paper box decorated with a red poppy and containing a small Anzac biscuit. So a memorable evening for many reasons!
