Chicken Soup with Tears

Told through two interwoven narratives, the novel follows Zenon, a disillusioned teacher searching for meaning within a fractured society, and Mendel, a survivor whose journey through persecution, from Belgium to the Łódź Ghetto and Chełmno, has profoundly shaped his understanding of the world.

As their lives intersect, the story becomes an exploration of memory, moral awakening, and the fragile yet enduring power of compassion.

Author Alan Walters will be in conversation, reflecting on the historical inspiration behind the novel, the characters at its heart, and the questions the story leaves us with today.

Born in East London, Alan Walters studied Russian and History at London and Cambridge universities before a long teaching career across the UK and Europe. His deep interest in the Holocaust led him to focus on the fate of Jews in lesser-known extermination camps, particularly Chelmno nad Nerem, the first of its kind. His writing is driven by a commitment to uncovering and preserving these lesser known yet important histories.