Peter Curtis was born in Kosice, Slovakia in 1937. He grew up in the United Kingdom after escaping Nazi occupied Prague with parents in 1939.

Peter took medical training at Guys Hospital Medical School,  London. He was a rheumatologist and then country family doctor in UK .

In 1976, he emigrated to the USA. He was Professor of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina until his retirement in 2000. In 2007 he moved to Seattle.

Dr. Curtis published 130 articles, textbooks and short stories in the UK. He began his family research in 2004. His fictional novel, The Dragontail Buttonhole, based on his family’s escape from Prague, was published by Sordelet Ink in March 2016. It is available online and in bookstores.

Visit his website at http://www.petercurtisauthor.com/

“Mixing Genealogy with Fiction” (Tues-130), 12:45-1:30 P.M.

This presentation will take the form of a case study that illustrates the value and pitfalls of genealogy research in the development of a fictional novel. The case study is based on the escape of the presenter and his family from Nazi-occupied Prague through Hungary and Germany, to France, and then on to Britain. Curtis will illustrate the steps of his research with slides of documents and photographs and highlight the tension and challenges of fictionalizing real characters and historical events. He will provide a handout for those interested in pursuing fiction as a result of their genealogical research.

Topic: WW2 History