Elisa Segrave Presents “The Girl from Station X: My Mother's Unknown Life”

5:00 p.m. Reception | 6:00 p.m. Presentation | 7:00 p.m. Book Signing

The Institute for the Study of War and Democracy is delighted to host Elisa Segrave as she shares her mother’s remarkable experiences working at the famous codebreaking site of Bletchley Park and with the RAF Bomber Command, as well as her own journey researching and writing of her mother’s untold wartime service.

“A typical day on the 4 to 12 shift, as I am at present, so that the sheer agony of it may be placed on record for me to look back on, perhaps one day in the far distant future when this period may be seen like a nightmare and be mercifully semi-observed in oblivion so that I shall remember only the glory of my position as the first and only woman on the watch and holding the most responsible position of any woman in the Hut.” October 12th 1942.

As Anne Segrave approached old age and infirmity, her daughter Elisa was faced with the daunting task of sorting through her mother’s belongings. She was aware of several elements of Anne’s past, but she was astonished to find evidence of an altogether different life when she uncovered a cache of wartime diaries. Now, on the pages before her, Segrave encountered a young woman who put the world of finishing schools and hunt balls behind her to embark on a journey that took her to Bletchley Park, Bomber Command, and eventually, a newly liberated Germany.

Segrave will be signing copies of her book which will be distributed free of charge, which will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis to attendees.

Can’t make it to the Museum? Watch the event live.

The reception and presentation are free and open to the public, and brought to you by the Institute for the Study of War and Democracy. To register, please call 504-528-1944 x 412.

About the Author
Elisa Segrave is the author of The Diary of a Breast, a biography about her battle with cancer, and the novel Ten Men (both published by Faber). She writes for many newspapers and magazines, including the London Review of Books, The Guardian, The Independent, and The Lady.