At 07:58:53 local time, 30 km beneath the sea off the northern coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake ruptures 1200 km of the Sunda megathrust, propagating north towards the Andaman Islands. It is the largest earthquake ever recorded. Sudden displacement of the seabed generates a tsunami in the Indian Ocean, with waves reaching 50 metres, higher than a ten-storey building. An impenetrable wall of water.

Writing The Diplomat was cathartic but also challenging. It opened a lid on difficult and sensitive memories and deeply personal stories surrounding events that changed many lives.