WALTER ZACHARIUS, author of The Memories We Keep and the founder and Chairman Emeritus of Kensington Publishing grew up in Borough Park, Brooklyn, served in World War II from 1943 until 1945 and was with the French when they liberated Paris in August 1944. He was just nineteen years old at the time.
His acclaimed debut novel, The Memories We Keep was published in hardcover in 2005 (titled Songbird). April 2007 marks its first paperback edition. Reviewers have remarked on how convincingly Walter has captured the voice of a young woman during World War II, making her at once incredibly strong, yet achingly vulnerable. Little did they know the unforgettable journey that Walter embarked upon to write his novel—one that would span decades—from his time as a young American soldier in Europe during the second World War until the book’s publication some 60 years later.
The idea for The Memories We Keep started almost twenty years earlier at the Frankfurt Book Fair when Walter shared a story from World War II with his business partner Roberta Grossman, who in turn dared him to write a book. Yet because of the emotional nature of the story and his commitment to protecting the privacy of the individuals involved, Walter knew he could only write the story as a novel. The more people Walter shared the incredible story with, the more certain he became that the time had come to put pen to paper.
When Roberta passed away fifteen years ago at the age of forty-six, Walter had completed 800 pages of the manuscript, yet put his writing aside for the next two and a half years. Then one day at home, with the encouragement of his late wife, Alice, he decided to finish the novel. His characters ached to tell their stories. At the age of 81, Walter Zacharius achieved a lifelong dream—he became not just a publisher of great authors, but an author himself.
As readers will no doubt notice, music is an integral part of The Memories We Keep, both as part of the story line and also in the lives of its characters. A lifelong love of music led Walter to begin learning classical piano at the age of seventy and he is now learning jazz.
A noted philanthropist, Walter has established scholarships for students who want to study music but don’t have the financial means. He also sponsors the Harlem RBI Little League Team and has provided numerous college scholarships in and around New York City for members of the RBI team and young men and women who want to embark upon a career in publishing. Walter is active in a number of Jewish organizations, especially as a longtime supporter and former Chairman of the UJA. In 1994, he was invited to the Vatican by His Holiness Pope John Paul II to attend a special concert in Commemoration of the Shoah, the Jewish Holocaust. Walter served as a benefactor and organizer of this historic concert.
An avid world traveler, Walter is also an art collector, musician, athlete, and adventurer who went skydiving for the first time at the age of 65! A New York City resident, he recently started a Los Angeles-based movie production company to produce independent films and is working on an outline for his next book.
One of Walter’s greatest passions is discussing The Memories We Keep, the long road to its publication, and the brave men and women who inspired this unique novel. To contact Walter Zacharius or request a phone chat with your book group, please email him at .
His acclaimed debut novel, The Memories We Keep was published in hardcover in 2005 (titled Songbird). April 2007 marks its first paperback edition. Reviewers have remarked on how convincingly Walter has captured the voice of a young woman during World War II, making her at once incredibly strong, yet achingly vulnerable. Little did they know the unforgettable journey that Walter embarked upon to write his novel—one that would span decades—from his time as a young American soldier in Europe during the second World War until the book’s publication some 60 years later.
The idea for The Memories We Keep started almost twenty years earlier at the Frankfurt Book Fair when Walter shared a story from World War II with his business partner Roberta Grossman, who in turn dared him to write a book. Yet because of the emotional nature of the story and his commitment to protecting the privacy of the individuals involved, Walter knew he could only write the story as a novel. The more people Walter shared the incredible story with, the more certain he became that the time had come to put pen to paper.
When Roberta passed away fifteen years ago at the age of forty-six, Walter had completed 800 pages of the manuscript, yet put his writing aside for the next two and a half years. Then one day at home, with the encouragement of his late wife, Alice, he decided to finish the novel. His characters ached to tell their stories. At the age of 81, Walter Zacharius achieved a lifelong dream—he became not just a publisher of great authors, but an author himself.
As readers will no doubt notice, music is an integral part of The Memories We Keep, both as part of the story line and also in the lives of its characters. A lifelong love of music led Walter to begin learning classical piano at the age of seventy and he is now learning jazz.
A noted philanthropist, Walter has established scholarships for students who want to study music but don’t have the financial means. He also sponsors the Harlem RBI Little League Team and has provided numerous college scholarships in and around New York City for members of the RBI team and young men and women who want to embark upon a career in publishing. Walter is active in a number of Jewish organizations, especially as a longtime supporter and former Chairman of the UJA. In 1994, he was invited to the Vatican by His Holiness Pope John Paul II to attend a special concert in Commemoration of the Shoah, the Jewish Holocaust. Walter served as a benefactor and organizer of this historic concert.
An avid world traveler, Walter is also an art collector, musician, athlete, and adventurer who went skydiving for the first time at the age of 65! A New York City resident, he recently started a Los Angeles-based movie production company to produce independent films and is working on an outline for his next book.
One of Walter’s greatest passions is discussing The Memories We Keep, the long road to its publication, and the brave men and women who inspired this unique novel. To contact Walter Zacharius or request a phone chat with your book group, please email him at .
