There will be a poetry reading at Shrewsbury Abbey on Thursday 27 January to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, when  victims of genocide around the world are remembered, and especially the victims of the Nazi Holocaust. At Shrewsbury at 11 am Jean Boase-Beier, professor of literature and translation at the University of East Anglia, will read Holocaust poems translated from languages as different as Spanish, German, Polish and Japanese. Each poem will be briefly introduced and set in context. Entry is free.

You can also listen to the poem ‘Auschwitz’, by Charles N Whittaker, read by staff from South Lanarkshire Libraries.

In Derby there will be an evening of words, music and dance with this year’s theme One Day, which explores how genocidal regimes throughout history have deliberately fractured societies by marginalising certain groups, and how these tactics can be challenged by individuals standing together with their neighbours, and speaking out against oppression. A selection of performances, including spoken word, poetry, traditional songs, music and dance, from communities including Derby’s Jewish, Ukrainian, Gypsy, Armenian, Iranian and Bosnian groups, plus contributions from local schools.

This year’s keynote speaker is Dr Larissa Allwork, Associate Professor in History & Impact at the University of Derby. Larissa will be talking about one day in the extraordinary life of Jack Kagan (1929-2016). Kagan survived the Holocaust with the Jewish Bielski partisan resistance group in the Naliboki forest. The story of the Bielski partisans has been immortalised in the film Defiance (2008) starring Daniel Craig. Kagan also rebuilt his life in Britain after the war and became an important advocate for Holocaust education and remembrance nationally and internationally.

PHOTOGRAPH OF HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL IN BERLIN: GREG FREEMAN