STORY 1:

MY NAME IS RUTH SCHWIENING

Inspiration

I created a visual essay in response to Ruth’s story because I wanted people to see her life. War is often reduced to statistics, but it is always about ordinary lives, like her father Lothar, who was denied raising his family on a farm. Ruth’s story is very much about a happy ending – she was reunited with her family, she married the man she loved, and she had the opportunity to grow old. I wanted her story to speak to people currently displaced through war - and to end on an optimistic note - that they too, like Ruth, may one day rebuild their lives and find a place to call home.

Biography

James specialises in digital storytelling. Current projects include Whatever People Say I Am – a series of comics challenging stereotypes, and the literary heritage project, The D.H. Lawrence Memory Theatre. He is a senior lecturer in Creative Writing at Nottingham Trent University.