Melinda Ham brings her expertise and compassion to The Lucky Ones, a compelling and deeply human collection of refugee stories. In The Lucky Ones, Melinda shares stories from families who have fled persecution, detention, and violence to find safety in Australia. Spanning 70 years, their journeys cover regions as diverse as Iraq, Afghanistan, Poland, Tibet, Vietnam, and Zaire. Through her carefully researched narratives, Melinda provides a window into the struggles, resilience, and triumphs of those who have come to call Australia home.
About the Author
Melinda Ham has been a journalist for more than twenty-five years. She started her career in southern Africa as a correspondent for six years for the Associated Press and for London's Daily Telegraph, The Economist and other international publications. She's also lived and worked in India and Singapore.
In Australia, she wrote for The Sydney Morning Herald and the Sun Herald for more than twelve years, including stints as a sub-editor on the foreign desk and as commissioning editor for Special Reports. She wrote on a diverse range of subjects, including education, environment, health, lifestyle, health and culture. She's been editor of Explore, the Australian Museum's twice-yearly magazine. She's also produced dozens of publications through her media company, Narrate Media, for charities, universities and companies.
About the book
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.