From the English Department

Anna Funder Zoom Talk

On August 16, the author of Stasiland held a Zoom talk with our Year 12 English students. 

Stasiland is a literary non-fiction text that explores the lives of people who resisted the East German secret police, prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall. It is part of the Comparative Analysis of Texts unit in Unit 4 English. 

Anna Funder spoke for 45 minutes about her experiences seeking out and interviewing not only those who resisted the Stasi, but also those who were involved in the ‘most perfected surveillance state of all time.’ It was a humorous and heartfelt discussion of a popular English text. 

Students asked a range of questions and got to the core of Funder’s text. In spite of some minor technical issues, it was a worthwhile and rewarding experience, and will no doubt help students as they work towards their final SAC and their final exam. 

Benjamin White

English Faculty Leader