Melinda Ham on The Lucky Ones

Waverley library welcomes you to attend this special event for Refugee Week. Listen to an inspiring talk with award-winning journalist and former foreign correspondent, Melinda Ham. With over 30 years of experience, including reporting for The Economist and The Sydney Morning Herald, Melinda will share insights from her latest book, The Lucky Ones.

This meticulously researched work captures powerful refugee stories spanning 70 years, detailing journeys from places like Iraq, Vietnam, and Afghanistan to Australia. Hear first hand about the resilience, survival, and hope that defines these "lucky ones," offering a unique perspective on the refugee experience in Australia. Don't miss this moving event!

‘We are not numbers or statistics. We fled from our homelands because we were standing up for what we believed was right. We had no choice, no choice at all but to flee for our lives. We are the lucky ones who left, and found a new country that welcomed us.’ – Lulu, refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

About the author:

Canadian-born Melinda Ham has been a journalist and writer for more than 30 years. Her career started in southern Africa where she was a correspondent for the Associated Press and London’s Daily Telegraph, The Economist and other international publications. She has also reported from India and Singapore.

After immigrating to Australia, Melinda wrote for the Sydney Morning Herald and Sun Herald for 12 years. She now creates content for large organisations, universities and not-for-profits. Continuing her passion for refugee issues, Melinda has volunteered as a community speaker, tutor and mentor.

Her home is on Scotland Island, in the Northern Beaches of Sydney, unceded land of the Garigal Clan of the Guringai Nation, with her partner Mike. She loves bushwalking, running, sailing – and the occasional visit from her two grown-up children.

About the book:

The Lucky Ones is a moving and meticulously researched book of refugee stories from award-winning journalist and former foreign correspondent Melinda Ham.

Though they are from different generations, countries and cultures, the families in this book all have one thing in common: they have escaped persecution in their homelands to find safety in Australia. Spanning 70 years, and tracking journeys from Iraq, Afghanistan, Poland, Tibet, Vietnam and Zaire, The Lucky Ones offers a window into the complex history of Australian refugee experiences.

More than 35 million refugees around the world are currently waiting to be resettled. In their own words, the people in this book are some of the 'lucky ones' who survived terror, detention, beatings and torture to reach a country that offered them a new beginning.