Hear a compelling true story of loss, love and reconciliation

Are you looking for an engaging speaker for your group's upcoming program? I am available to present a talk based on my book, Loving the Enemy: building bridges in a time of war. It tells the true and deeply moving story of my grandparents—Englishman Fred Clayton and Rike Büttner-Wobst from Dresden, Germany—who rose above the hatred and enmity of warring nations to build an enduring bridge of love.

My grandfather was a grammar schoolboy from Liverpool and a brilliant Cambridge scholar (a friend and contemporary of Alan Turing). He left the comfort of Cambridge at the beginning of the Nazi era, making a troubled journey to discover first-hand what life was like under the despotic regime. Arriving in Dresden, he developed a friendship with a German family that would change his life forever. The war intervened, but it could not destroy Fred’s determination to maintain the bridges he had built. After surviving deep wartime trauma, he reached out to the family again. My grandmother, who had witnessed the catastrophic bombing of Dresden and survived the humiliation of the Soviet occupation, replied. The extraordinary correspondence that followed brought them both hope, healing, and a shared future.

This is a universal human story of peace, resilience, and reconciliation that resonates deeply with audiences of all backgrounds. My book and the journey to write it have been featured on national German television, BBC 5 Live, The Church Times podcast, Premier Christian Radio, and UCB2.

Talk Logistics & Flexibility I aim to make hosting this presentation as seamless and stress-free for your event organizer as possible:

• Flexible Timing: The presentation can be tailored to your schedule, comfortably running for 30 minutes or 45 minutes, followed by a Q&A session.
• Highly Visual & Engaging: The talk is accompanied by a professional PowerPoint presentation featuring rare historical visuals, alongside broadcast audio clips from my various media interviews where I was invited to share this incredible story.
• Fully Self-Contained: I can bring all of my own projection and audio equipment if your venue doesn't have it set up.
• Book Signing: I am delighted to bring copies of the book along for a dedicated signing and chat with your members after the presentation.

Would this be the sort of talk your group would be interested in hosting? If so, please get in touch via the form below to discuss dates. I am always happy to work with smaller community groups on tight budgets—please do get in touch to see how we can make it work for your event.