Community
8 May, 2023
Impacts of Gallipoli
Author’s book tells 25 global stories about devastating WWI conflict
AUTHOR Chris Shaw has launched his novel Echoes of Gallipoli, reflecting on the devastating stories of those who fought in Gallipoli and their relatives who grieved them.
A collection of fictional characters from across the world tell the stories of thousands of soldiers silenced by war and the people they left behind, offering readers a glimpse into humanity at its best and worst and the reality that war leaves no one untouched.
A retired pharmacist turned author, Mr Shaw found the inspiration for Echoes of Gallipoli at the 2020 ANZAC services at his retirement village.
“I attended the dawn service at our little retirement village, going in for coffee afterwards, a retired nurse said to me, ‘Our boys must have had a really rough time in Gallipoli’,” he said.
“In my head, I saw a picture of half a dozen Australian soldiers tearing up a beach, screaming their lungs out, and I thought, ‘I’ve got to write that story’.”
Through intensive research, the Earlville resident created 25 stories from nine different countries involved in Gallipoli, from Australia and New Zealand to Scotland, Wales, England, Ireland, India, Canada and France, to craft testimonies that, although fictional, spoke to the reality of thousands of families involved in WWI.
“I started by creating a family in Winton, Queensland. Patrick Jackson was the son, and I got him going to Gallipoli and how he died,” he said.
“Then I realised that I hadn’t considered the huge impact of the loss of a child to his mum and dad, so I wrote their story too.
“But the Kiwis had been in the fight with us, so I wrote their story. There were 10 nationalities that took part in Gallipoli, and I knew nothing about their cultural backgrounds a century ago.
“So I did two and a half years’ work during lockdown, and I got the cultural background and military context to put in my 25 stories.”
The result of the in-depth research is a beautiful book, not only for its content but its visual appeal, with its cover in leather simulating a war journal from WWI.
“It’s a beautiful presentation and a limited edition of 1000, and some of the proceeds from the book will go to Legacy for families who need a hand,” Mr Shaw said.
“I want people to take away a realisation of what war is all about, having had 80 years of relative peace.”
To buy Echoes of Gallipoli, visit https://www.chrisshawauthor.com/
