FONS Supports the Lollards History Club
March 5, 2025
Thanks to the generous donations made by FONS, the decision was taken to purchase eighteen copies of Fatherland by Robert Harris for members of the school's Lollards History Club (L5-M5 pupils).The introduction of this book club element to our society has allowed us to discuss key themes throughout the novel. Set in an alternate historical reality where Germany had won the Second World War, the book follows March, an SS officer who is not loyal to the Nazi regime, and his search to uncover the truth regarding what happened to the Jews of Europe. At the time of writing, we have had two meetings dedicated to discussions about the novel. In those, we have covered themes around propaganda, totalitarianism and the importance of truth.
All eighteen copies have been handed out to pupils and are currently in use. In the Trinity term, we will have our final discussion together, by which point everyone will have read the entire novel. In this meeting, it is hoped that we can meaningfully discuss the value of the historical fiction genre and bring in our own factual knowledge to assess how realistic Harris' prediction of a post-1945 Nazi world is. It is also hoped that this will be the first stage in encouraging a culture of reading amongst our Fifth Form pupils, with the potential to purchase further accessible historical books in the future.
Once again, we must thank the FONS committee for their generosity which has allowed our club members to take their love of History outside of the classroom



