Join us as we celebrate Jonathan Kanat’s debut book Miriam’s Light, drawing on family testimony to tell the story of his mother, Miriam Kanat, a child Holocaust survivor.

Miriam’s Light is a deeply personal memoir that tells the story of Miriam Kanat (née Mrocki), a child Holocaust survivor who rebuilt her life in Melbourne after the war. Born in Poland in 1939, Miriam was separated from her parents and hidden in a Catholic convent during the Holocaust. Her survival depended on silence, concealment of identity, and the courage of those who risked their lives to protect her.

Written by her son, Jonathan Kanat, brings together Miriam’s own words, family testimony, and historical context to explore not only her survival, but the lasting impact of what remained unspoken. It reflects on a life shaped by silence and watchfulness, carried long after the war had ended, yet one in which she found her own new possibility, grounded in the life, love, and family she went on to build.

At its heart, his work is guided by the values his mother lived by, a belief in the enduring power of love, not only as a force of survival, but in its capacity to heal, to forgive, and to be carried forward, shaping family, identity, and the possibility of renewal.

His writing explores memory, intergenerational trauma, and the transmission of lived experience.

Book signing and purchases will be available at the event. Secure your seats now.