STORIES OF WAR never lose their power to shock, sadden and confront. Witnessing death and experiencing violence and atrocities creates traumatic memories. Indelible and unavoidable traces of these events are left behind – not just for those who witness them, but also for future generations. How these events and their effects are understood and discussed over time is a perennial challenge to those who experience them and those who attempt, long after, to fathom the enduring depths of past human violence.

The complexity of reconstructing, recapturing or representing acts of extreme violence in war has been well documented. Debates surrounding how such representations can or cannot be achieved have proven open ground for writers, artists, theorists and historians alike.[i] In one regard, however, there is agreement. War memories and legacies often haunt individuals, and the effects of this ripple out from these individuals to families and communities for decades after the episode occurred.