Book Launch: My Old Man & Me - Kim Huynh

This powerful tribute from a son to his father will help you care for your loved ones, look after yourself and to know when to let go.
About this Event

Overview

Forty years after Thiet Huynh smuggled his family out of Vietnam, he faces a final challenge: to be cared for by those he once protected. With courage, ingenuity and humour, Thiet and the Huynhs set off on a journey to remake their lives together.

'I have to live,' Dad kept saying to me. And I had to help him.

In 2021 a massive stroke left Thiet in need of constant care and upended life for him and his family, especially for his son Kim.

As Kim washed, transported, medicated, monitored, and fumed at Thiet, he forged a profound connection with the man who had risked everything for them to escape Vietnam and start a new life in Australia.

Together they looked back at how, after their boat crashed, Thiet tried to save Kim's life by giving him up to a stranger. How he was responsible for providing electricity to both South Vietnam and South Canberra. How he taught Kim to run a bakery, ride a bike, and turn defeat into triumph.

Kim will be in conversation with Roland Leikauf -Curator of post war migration at the ANMM.

Following the talk, guests can join a curator tour of the Voyage to Freedom exhibition.

About the Author

Kim Huynh is an academic, broadcaster and author who has been writing about Australian society and politics for over 25 years. His books include Where the Sea Takes Us (HarperCollins, 2008) and Australia's Refugee Politics in the 21st Century (Routledge, 2023). In 2024 he was commissioned by the federal government to draft A Statement from Australia's Carers.

Kim can be heard on ABC Radio Canberra's Sunday Brunch program, which showcases the people and culture of the nation's capital.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase and be signed by the author.

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