Call of the wild
AUTHOR Lynn Santer's life has been filled with amazing experiences that have been relived in her biography.
LYNN Santer’s lifelong passion for conservation, especially among Africa‚’s wildlife, was kindled as a child when she watched her father’s home movies.
The family home in London included a cinema, and her father Neville — managing director of an international French firm — screened his David Attenborough-style home movies about his travels around the world, especially his trips to Africa.
“I was mesmerised watching those movies, as any kid would be,” recalls Santer, who is now 49 and lives on the Gold Coast.
“My father was the hero of the world. Yet I kept putting off going to Africa because as I grew up I was too afraid that this wonderful image of Africa that I had in my mind would be burst when I went there.
“Happily, that was not the case, and when I went it exceeded my expectations.”
Santer has tried her hand at many activities over the years, including public relations, writing novels and film scripts, tracking wild animals in Africa and even arranging a meeting between Saddam Hussein’s former pilot and an Orthodox rabbi.
So it’s not surprising that the title of her recently released biography, written by Sandra Rogers, is An Unbelievable Life.
Santer has worked closely with Hollywood stars, including Tippi Hedren, the star of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic movie The Birds and mother of actress Melanie Griffith, who she met in 1999 and with whom she had an instant rapport through their love of animals.
Hedren, who wrote the foreword to the biography, is described by Santer as “still ¬≠gorgeous”.
“Tippi turned 80 this year and … she is still making films and travelling around the world and running her big cat sanctuary.”
In the book, Santer describes her trips to Africa and her work with conservation groups as “amazing”.
“The most memorable part of my life was my encounter with the wild animals of Africa. Those are images that are burned into my brain for the rest of my life,” she says.
“It was the wonderful moments of fulfilling a lifetime dream and seeing the animals in the wild as nature intended.”
Another interesting encounter related in the book is that between Gold Coast Rabbi Nir Gurevitch and Saddam Hussein’s personal pilot, Ali Al-Wahabi.
Santer met Rabbi Gurevitch around the time of her father’s death five years ago and they became good friends. At the time, Santer was writing the life story of Al-Wahabi. “Ali had never had a Jewish friend until my family welcomed him. He was shocked and amazed,” she says.
“When I met Rabbi Gurevitch, he wanted to meet Ali, who was lost for words. From the moment that the two men met there was a magical chemistry, an understanding and openness between them. It was so inspirational.”
Santer says this was a small step to peace between the two religions.
An Unbelievable Life by Sandra Rogers is published by Zeus Publications. Enquiries: www.lynnsanter.com.
Chanukah books for kids
LYNN Santer has produced a new Chanukah book titled Chanukah Guessing Games and Colouring Book.
She worked on the book with Rabbi Nir Gurevitch of Gold Coast Hebrew Congregation, and more than 100 copies will be distributed free to children during the Gold Coast’s Chanukah in the Park celebrations this month.
This Chanukah book is the latest children’s publication written by Santer. Other titles include The Israeli Magical Scarecrows Chanukah Adventure and The Israeli Magical Scarecrows Purim Adventure.
The Magical Scarecrows series was originally conceived when Santer was only nine years old, and she rewrote the stories for her sister’s children more than 20 years later.
In 2007, Santer decided to have her children’s stories professionally illustrated, edited and produced for charity work.
Santer expanded this work to the Magical Scarecrows “Kids Who Read Succeed” program and the Magical Scarecrows Stars With Hearts International Celebrity T-Shirt Relay, which has been supported by many actors, including Hugh Jackman, Priscilla Presley and Jackie Chan.
DANNY GOCS
PHOTO: Lynn Santer with Hollywood star Tippi Hedren
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