Far From Home: Refugees and Immigration (publication 2017)
This month, I was very pleased to be contacted by Amy Stephenson at Hachette Children’s Books, who has commissioned me to write a book for young people about refugees and immigration, focusing on the current refugee crisis. It’s an issue close to my heart; every week I meet people at the Migrant English Project in Brighton who have been forced to flee their country; many of the recent newcomers are from Syria. I’m hoping to incorporate first-hand experiences in the book to give meaning to a debate that frequently focuses on numbers rather than human beings.
This up-to-date title will focus on the current war in Syria, the crisis facing millions of people in the Middle East and the Western response. It will look at the root causes of mass migration and smaller-scale immigration and the difficulties migrants face when travelling to a new country, sometimes using dangerous routes. It will examine daily life in a refugee camp and how people try to cope living in limbo. The socio-economic pressures for countries hosting large numbers of refugees will also be discussed.
Balanced and informative, this book will be accessible to both adults and children, providing a starting point for discussions on refugees and immigration.
Photo: Bern O’Donahue, Refugees Crossing
https://www.facebook.com/Refugees-Crossing-977304788956231/