Migration, immigration and emigration Books

Book SynopsisA searing critique of the “freedom” that America offers to the victims of its imperialist machinations of war and occupation Meaningless Citizenship traces the costs of America’s long-term military involvement around the world by following the forced displacement of Iraqi families, unveiling how Iraqis are doubly displaced: first by the machinery of American imperialism in their native countries and then through a more pernicious war occurring on U.S. soil—the dismantling of the welfare state.Revealing the everyday struggles and barriers that texture the lives of Iraqi families recently resettled to the United States, Sally Wesley Bonet draws from four years of deep involvement in the refugee community of Philadelphia. An education scholar, Bonet’s analysis moves beyond the prevalent tendency to collapse schooling into education. Focusing beyond the public school to other critical institutions, such as public assistance, resettlement programs, and healthcare, she shows how encounters with institutions of the state are an inherently educative process for both refugee youths and adults, teaching about the types of citizenship they are expected to enact and embody while simultaneously shaping them into laboring subjects in service of capitalism. An intimate, in-depth ethnography, Meaningless Citizenship exposes how the veneer of American values—freedom, democracy, human rights—exported to countries like Iraq, disintegrates to uncover what is really beneath: a nation-state that prioritizes the needs of capitalism above the survival and wellbeing of its citizens.Trade Review"Sally Wesley Bonet’s book is a beautiful exploration of the meanings of refuge and citizenship through institutions, relationships, and the everyday experiences of children and families in the United States. It exposes essential understandings that are needed for stronger futures, particularly the consequences of misaligned expectations and reality as well as the responsibility the United States has to refugees, especially those to whom it has caused suffering."—Sarah Dryden-Peterson, author of Right Where We Belong: How Refugee Teachers and Students Are Changing the Future of Education"Drawing on three years of tender and tenacious ethnographic research with Iraqi refugee families resettled into poverty in the U.S., Meaningless Citizenship explains how American imperialism and its brutal late-stage, low-road, neoliberal capitalism deny refugees the economic and social rights of full citizenship. Sally Wesley Bonet critiques how refugee resettlement, public assistance, and educational and health care institutions stymie justice, even as she shows how they might be reformed to foster more humane and equitable outcomes."—Lesley Bartlett, coauthor of Humanizing Education for Immigrant and Refugee Youth: 20 Strategies for the Classroom and Beyond

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book is a collection of articles by anthropologists and social scientists concerned with gendered labour, care, intimacy and sexuality, in relation to mobility and the hardening of borders in Europe. Interrogating the relation between physical, geopolitical borders and ideological, conceptual boundaries, it offers a range of vivid and original ethnographic case studies that will capture the imagination of anyone interested in gendered migration, policies of inclusion and exclusion, and regulation of reproduction and intimacy.The book presents ethnographic and phenomenological discussions of people’s changing lives as they cross borders, how people transgress and reshape moral boundaries of proper gender and kinship behaviour, and moral economies of intimacy and sexuality. It also focuses on migrants’ navigation of social and financial services in their destination countries, putting questions about rights and limitations on citizenship at the core.Table of ContentsIntroduction – Haldis Haukanes and Frances Pine1 Reconceptualising borders and boundaries: gender, movement, reproduction, regulation – Frances Pine and Haldis HaukanesSection I Gendered life worlds: migrants’ imaginaries and obligations in contested contexts of intimacy2 Moral economies of intimacy: narratives of Ukrainian solo female migrants in Italy – Olena Fedyuk3 Borders within intimate realms: looking at marriage migration regimes in Austria and Germany through the perspective of women from rural Kosovo – Carolin Leutloff-Grandits4 The gender of guilt: diversity and ambivalence of transnational care trajectories within postsocialist migration experience – Petra Ezzeddine and Hana Havelková5 Celebrating invisibility: live-in Romanian badanti caring for the elderly in southeast Italy – Gabriela NicolescuSection II Gender, entitlement and obligation: migrants interacting with the state and voluntary services6 Migrating bodies in the context of health and racialisation in Germany – Christiane Falge7 Joint struggles for care and social reproduction in Spain: contested boundaries and new solidarities – Sílvia Bofill-Poch8 Migration, gender dynamics and social reproduction: Polish and Italian mothers in Norway – Lise Widding Isaksen and Elzbieta Czapka9 Reproductive rights in migration: politics, values and in/exclusionary practices in assisted reproduction – Izabella MainSection III Shifting gendered policies: reproduction and care in national and historical perspectives10 Children of the state? The role of pronatalism in the development of Czech childcare and reproductive health policies – Hana Hašková and Radka Dudová11 Absorbing care through precarious labour: the shifting boundaries of politics in Norwegian health care – Anette Fagertun12 ‘The Handbook of Masturbation and Defloration’: tracing sources of recent neo-conservatism in Poland – Agnieszka KoscianskaIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe subject of numerous biographies and history books, Winston Churchill has been repeatedly voted as one of the greatest of Englishmen. Even today, Boris Johnson in his failing attempts to be magisterial, has adopted many of his hero's mannerism! And, as Tariq Ali agrees, Churchill was undoubtedly right in 1940-41 to refuse to capitulate to fascism. However, he was also one of the staunchest defenders of empire and of Britain's imperial doctrine. In this coruscating biography, Tariq Ali challenges Churchill's vaulted record. Throughout his long career as journalist, adventurer, MP, military leader, statesman, and historian, nationalist self belief influenced Churchill's every step, with catastrophic effects. As a young man he rode into battle in South Africa, Sudan and India in order to maintain the Imperial order. As a minister during the first World War, he was responsible for a series of calamitous errors that cost thousands of lives. His attempt to crush the Irish nationalists left scars that have not yet healed. Despite his record as a defender of his homeland during the Second World War, he was willing to sacrifice more distant domains. Singapore fell due to his hubris. Over 3 Millions Bengalis starved in 1943 as a consequence of his policies. As a peace time leader, even as the Empire was starting to crumble, Churchill never questioned his imperial philosophy as he became one of the architects of the postwar world we live in today.Trade ReviewIn Ali's telling, which draws on more honest existing historical scholarship than most popular biographies of Churchill, the two-times prime minister emerges not so much as deeply racist - some of his contemporaries remarked on it in shock - as profoundly authoritarian, with a soft spot for fascist strongmen, and a hostility to working-class assertion. -- Priyamvada Gopal * Prospect *For Tariq Ali, Churchill debunking, like Churchill worship, is a political act. -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *Ali portrays Churchill as cruel, incompetent and blinded by prejudice * Spectator *A Marxist insult to history. -- Simon Heffer * The Telegraph *A powerful corrective...shining a light on the nasty parts of the Churchill story that his supporters conveniently ignore. This book is an unreserved polemic against the man usually celebrated for standing up to Hitler -- Martin Chilton * Independent *An essential antidote to the Churchill myth...This book could not be more timely. -- Lindsey German * Counterfire *A counter to popular mythology; an effort to peel back the curtain of propaganda and locate truth ... a worthy contribution in a crowded field -- Labour Hub * Talal Hangari *[Ali] seeks not so much to flush WC down the toilet of history, but to reassign him to his rightful place as one of history's most over-rated figures ... [a] highly readable book -- Donald Sassoon * Political Quarterly *The important thing about Ali's book, even after a thousand on the same subject, is that it is primarily interested in Churchill's years in service to British imperialism, and only secondarily interested in World War II, inverting the usual balance...a vital corrective. -- Alex Skopic * Current Affairs *Ali's book is a helpful corrective to the cult of Churchill that has come to dominate British culture. His study makes one thing clear: there is ultimately no path to a socialist and internationalist future without challenging this legacy. -- Liam Kennedy * Jacobin *Ali's examination remains an important corrective to the hagiographic praise that Churchill receives to this day. -- Andrew Moravcsik * Foreign Affairs *Ali has produced a searing critique full of little known detail, of a long and powerful British life which did untold damage at home and abroad. -- Victoria Brittain * Review of African Political Economy *

Read more less

Book SynopsisPoets from around the world give eloquent voice to the trials, hopes, rewards and losses of migration.Each year, millions join the ranks of intrepid migrants who have reshaped societies throughout history. Most recently, Middle Eastern and African people have risked their lives to reach safety in Europe, while central Americans have fled north seeking asylum. But whether they are refugees from war or violence, political exiles or immigrants in search of education, opportunity and freedom, these travellers share the challenge of adapting to being strangers in a strange land.Border Lines brings together more than a hundred poets representing more than sixty nations - Imtiaz Dharker, Ruth Padel, Bernadine Evaristo, Derek Walcott, Mahmoud Darwish, 'Dreadlock Alien', Dunya Mikhail and Hédi Kaddour, to name but a few. Their poems tell moving stories of displacement and new beginnings in the UK, France and Germany, Canada and the United States and challenge us to reexamine our own society from a new perspective.

Read more less

Book Synopsis'This is a courageous, arresting debut from a poet to watch.' Independent'A vital contribution to literature' HUCKChosen as one of Bustle's Best Debut Books of 2021Chosen as one of Glamour's 'best poetry books' _________________________________________________________An arresting debut collection about identity, ancestry and history, from a young poet selected as an inaugural winner of the #Merky Books New Writers' Prize, dedicated to discovering the best writers of a new generation.Written with profound depth and insight, the poems in Teeth in the Back of My Neck explore the joys, the confusions and the moments of sadness behind having one's history scattered around the globe ­- and the way in which your identity is always worn on your skin, whether you like it or not.Bristling with tension and beautifully realised, Monika Radojevic's impressive debut collection is an introduction to one of the most exciting and impressive poets of her generation.Trade ReviewThis is a courageous, arresting debut from a poet to watch. * Independent *This book is stunning * Catherine Mayer *Monika Radojevic's poems grapple with the intersections of race and womanhood with a bite fitting of this debut's title; her ability to weave gut-punching honesty with arresting imagery makes for a standout collection[...] Radojevic is no doubt a poet with a bright futureand Teeth in the Back of My Neck is a testament to the powerful things she has to say. An assertive and enthralling collection of poetry. * **** The Skinny *Radojevic writes with an uncompromising fierceness, provocation and dedication to the physical body which acts as her most authentic, intuitive medium of expression. She offers with this collection a vital contribution to literature at a time when women's voices urgently need to be heard. * HUCK *Radojevic's interrogation of the status quo ... is not just interesting, it is agitating. * Bad Form *

Read more less

Book SynopsisForbes, Best Business Books of 2022Behavioral Scientist, Notable Books of 2022Immigration is one of the most fraught, and possibly most misunderstood, topics in American social discourse-yet, in most cases, the things we believe about immigration are based largely on myth, not facts. Using the tools of modern data analysis and ten years of pioneering research, new evidence is provided about the past and present of the American Dream, debunking myths fostered by political opportunism and sentimentalized in family histories, and draw counterintuitive conclusions, including:* Upward Mobility: Children of immigrants from nearly every country, especially those of poor immigrants, do better economically than children of U.S.-born residents - a pattern that has held for more than a century.* Rapid Assimilation: Immigrants accused of lack of assimilation (such as Mexicans today and the Irish in the past) actually assimilate fastest.* Improved Economy: Immigration changes the economy in unexpected positive ways and staves off the economic decline that is the consequence of an aging population.* Helps U.S. Born: Closing the door to immigrants harms the economic prospects of the U.S.-born-the people politicians are trying to protect.Using powerful story-telling and unprecedented research employing big data and algorithms, Abramitzky and Boustan are like dedicated family genealogists but millions of times over. They provide a new take on American history with surprising results, especially how comparable the "golden era" of immigration is to today, and why many current policy proposals are so misguided.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is a tale of human obsession, one intrepid tuna, the dedicated fisherman who caught and set her free, the promises and limits of ocean science and the big truth of how our insatiable appetite for bluefin transformed a cottage industry into a global dilemma.In 2004, an enigmatic charter captain named Al Anderson caught and marked one Atlantic bluefin tuna off New England's coast with a plastic fish tag. Fourteen years later that fish dubbed Amelia for her ocean-spanning journeys died in a Mediterranean fish trap, sparking Karen Pinchin's riveting investigation into the marvels, struggles, and prehistoric legacy of this remarkable species.Over his fishing career Al marked more than sixty thousand fish with plastic tags, an obsession that made him nearly as many enemies as it did friends. His quest landed him in the crossfire of an ongoing fight between a booming bluefin tuna industry and desperate conservation efforts, a conflict that is once again heating up as overfishing and clTrade Review‘Karen Pinchin has written a moving, vivid, often heart-pounding narrative of the love, greed and dramas surrounding the lives and deaths of a fish upon whom human fortunes rise and fall–each an individual animal who surely loves his or her life as much as we love ours. Kings of Their Own Ocean is a moving and ultimately hopeful story, reminding us that if we are honest and we are wise, we still may save the denizens of our imperiled seas.’ Sy Montgomery, New York Times bestselling author of The Soul of an Octopus ‘Pinchin has written pathos, poetry and adrenaline into a story about one of the most famed and endangered sea creatures on the planet: the bluefin tuna. Not easy to get the science right while making the reporting riveting. But she did … Well worth the read.’ Ian Urbina, nationally bestselling author of The Outlaw Ocean ‘Awash in lyricism and anchored in science and history, Kings of Their Own Ocean submerges readers in the enthralling lives of Al Anderson and Amelia to explore the depths of the Atlantic bluefin tuna industry. Eloquent and sobering, Pinchin uncovers the tenuous fate of the bluefin, and deftly explains why the choices we make about the ocean matter.’ Gloria Dickie, author of Eight Bears and a National Geographic Explorer ‘In Kings of Their Own Ocean, Karen Pinchin has brought vigor and pathos to the human relationship with the inhabitants of our oceans—and what this complex relationship means for the future of the planet.’ Alicia Kennedy, author of No Meat Required ‘Strap in to your deck chairs and prepare to land the story of several lifetimes. In Kings of Their Own Ocean, a church launches a global seafood empire, researchers feud, the tuna leap, and most of all, fishermen and citizen scientists manage to save a vital species, armed only with their wits and a few plastic tags. Pinchin’s deep reporting and stunning prose ensure tuna will never taste the same.’ Lizzie Stark, author of Egg: A Dozen Ovatures

Read more less

Book SynopsisA moving portrait of the contemporary experiences of migrant Moroccan men. Umbria is known to most Americans for its picturesque rolling hills and medieval villages, but to the many migrant Moroccan men who travel there, Umbria is better known for the tobacco fields, construction sites, small industries, and the outdoor weekly markets where they work. Marginalized and far from their homes, these men turn to Moroccan traditions of music and poetry that evoke the countryside they have left l-arubiya, or the rural. In this book, Alessandra Ciucci takes us inside the lives of Moroccan workers, unpacking the way they share a particular musical style of the rural to create a sense of home and belonging in a foreign and inhospitable nation. Along the way, she uncovers how this culture of belonging is not just the product of the struggles of migration, but also tied to the reclamation of a noble and virtuous masculine identity that is inaccessible to Moroccan migrants in Italy. The VoiceTrade Review“This is a fascinating and entirely original piece of work. I know of no work in the field that deals in such depth with how critically important music from the home country is to the lives of migrant workers from the Middle East. Ciucci offers us a detailed and fascinating investigation of the multiple ways in which this musical tradition carries meaning for these migrants.” -- Ted Swedenburg, author of Memories of Revolt: The 1936-39 Rebellion and the Palestinian National Past“Voicing the Rural is more than a book about North African migration to Europe. With one foot firmly in the vast, phosphate-rich plains region of central Morocco and the other planted in the “urbanized countryside” of central Italy, Alessandra Ciucci vividly explores how Moroccan migrant men use earthy fragments of sung colloquial poetry to open paths between the rural lives they have left in North Africa and the other kinds of rural lives they are creating in Europe.” -- Jonathan Glasser, author of The Lost Paradise: Andalusi Music in Urban North Africa"By maintaining geography, nationalism, race, gender, class, labor exploitation, culture preservation, and loss of the music and voice traditions of the Moroccan old country within the frame, Ciucci paves a new way of understanding the anthropology of work as a distinct realm of scholarship. The book’s social and linguistic perspectives on the psychology of trauma and the persistent musical habits inherent to migration are novel lenses through which one can view agrarian labor anthropologically. Indeed, Ciucci describes for anthropologists, ethnomusicologists, and migrant laborers a way to, together, hold knowledge and build understanding across cultures." * Society for the Anthropology of Work *Table of ContentsList of Figures and Tables Note on Names and Transliteration Introduction 1 The Engendering and the Othering of l-ʿarubi and l-ʿarubiya in Morocco 2 The Voyage: Voicing l-ʿarubiya in the Crossing 3 Spectral Guests, Marocchini, and “Real Men” 4 Longing (ḥnin), Intimacy (rasi rasək), and Belonging (intima): Voicing l-ʿarubiya Conclusion: Returns Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisJaz O'Hara is the founder of The Worldwide Tribe, a charity supporting refugees and asylum seekers globally. Since founding the charity in 2015, Jaz O'Hara has worked in refugee camps across the world, amplifying the voices of people who too often go unheard via her podcast, Asylum Speakers.As a writer for The Huffington Post, winner of Marie Claire's 'Future Shaper' award and member of Amnesty International's 'Collective', Jaz has become a leading voice on the topic of migration, speaking everywhere from TedX to the United Nations in NYC.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"A succinct, positive look at the great benefits, both historically and currently, of embracing immigration." * Kirkus Reviews, starred review *"A timely and important work. . . . Each chapter can stand alone in its analytic and empirical acumen; taken holistically, the book provides a primer on the state of immigration since 1965. . . . Rarely has the big picture about American immigration been communicated in such a straightforward and enlightening way."---Robert Adelman, Contemporary Sociology"One Quarter of the Nation . . . explains how [immigrants and their children] have changed local economies, communities, and politics for the better."---Alison Beard, Harvard Business Review"Packed with compelling data about how immigrants are transforming the American cultural and economic landscape, the book is a fast and engaging read."---Maileen Hamto, Seattle Book Review"A far-ranging look at how immigrants and their children—nearly 86 million people in all—have transformed America." * University of Chicago Magazine *"This well-written and highly accessible book is a valuable contribution to the scholarship on immigration. Its deep historical standpoint and its impressive synthesis of research on current patterns and trends provides an insightful analysis of how immigration is transforming America."---John Iceland, Journal of Interdisciplinary History"Foner sketches the landscape of American society since the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act abolished national-origins quotas in the US immigration system, leading to increased diversity." * Christian Century *"Foner's synthetic account . . . sift[s] through and make[s] sense of the vast body of research that has been produced in recent decades. . . . A richly documented and engaging overview."---Peter Kivisto, Sociological Forum"A succinct, accessible overview of how immigrants have transformed the country since the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act." * Choice Reviews *"A remarkable book. . . . A tour d’horizon of the twenty-first-century influences of immigration on American society."---Richard Alba, Patterns of Prejudice"One Quarter of the Nation is a timely and important work. . . . Rarely has the big picture about American immigration been communicated in such a straightforward and enlightening way."---Robert M. Adelman, Contemporary Sociology

Read more less

Book SynopsisWe have lost the plot when it comes to migration. In our collective consciousness, the term 'migration' conjures up images of hordes of refugees fleeing 'their' country, escaping on rafts and coming to invade 'ours'. When we think of migration, we think of (largely unwanted) immigration and its ills.We've got it all wrong.Far from being abnormal, the act of going in search of a better life is at the core of the human experience. And now a new kind of nomad is emerging. What used to be a movement largely from east to west, south to north, developing to developed country is becoming more of a multilateral phenomenon with each passing day. Young people from everywhere are moving everywhere. Or rather, they are moving to where they expect to improve their lives and are turning the world into a beauty contest of cities and regions and companies vying to attract them. They are doing so because movement has become a key to their em

Read more less

Book Synopsis''An alchemical wonder of a poet'' Fiona Benson, author of Vertigo & Ghost''Vivid, lyrical, and always surprising . . . Both a balm and a call to action'' Nathan Filer, author of The Shock of the FallA sparkling new collection from Romalyn Ante, nurse and prizewinning poet, moving between the Philippines and Wolverhampton, myth and the grind of the present-day NHS.''this charms the buried light of stars this deflects bullets this unblooms a war ''In some Filipino clans, parents pass down to each child an AGIMAT, an amulet, in the hope its magic will protect and empower them. At the dawn of the pandemic, the poet a practising nurse in the NHS is thrown onto the frontlines of the war against COVID-19.Past conflicts swim into the now. When she falls in love with a man of Japanese heritage, it forces a reckoning with her family's suffering under Japan's brutal wartime occupation of the Philippines. Elsewhere, w

Read more less

Book SynopsisMigrants provides an easy-to-understand explanation for children of what migration is, its causes and consequences. Humanity was nomadic for 99% of its existence. Sedentary life, national borders and the creation of identity documents for increasingly stricter population control are comparatively recent phenomena, and paradoxical given that the world is becoming ever more globalized. The recent emergence of populist movements in the West that are focused on closing borders and rejecting others raises serious questions about our sense of fraternity, especially when we could be facing ever larger migration movements due to the climate crisis. This book concisely explains what migration is, its causes and consequences, and the humanistic and legal aspects regarding it in the simplest, most objective ways possible, so that children have all the information they need to understand the world around them. Introduces children aged 8 and up to complex global social issues in a sensitive and balanced way Characterful illustrations appropriate for the readership and subject matter Easy-to-follow, bite-size text Includes a case study on the migration into Europe For ages 8+ Trade ReviewThis is an effective book for explaining migration to children aged 8 and up. It provides context for what is happening in the world today and outlines the causes and consequences of the movement of people from one country to another. The complexities of the subject have been made easy to understand with graphic-style illustrations, maps and diagrams supporting clear and objective text. It’s a comprehensive overview of the subject. Though free of emotive language, this is a powerful book that is helpful in highlighting global inequality. -- Alice Ellerby * Juno Magazine *This beautiful and useful picture book is a mine of information on the subject of human migration, which is sadly so topical and which many children will have questions about. Though this is a picture book, the information contained in it is pitched at a reasonably high level… and so it would best suit children in upper primary school. The design is fairly sophisticated, though, so older readers shouldn’t feel the book to be too babyish for them. -- Rachel Bowden * BookTrust *It is a beautifully crafted book; clear and concisely formatted with a historical timeline of migration over thousands of years, right up until ongoing issues today. It engages the reader with excellent explanations of many of the legal, practical, official stages involved in the process of migration as a whole and also details the more emotional/empathetic concerns regarding migration, of the human cost and impact. ...The text, diagrams and illustrations are all easily navigated - in shades of black, white and orange - so the whole effect is a really well-ordered and approachable NF book which is very sensitively written and is pitched perfectly for its younger reader - neither patronizing nor going above a suitable comprehension range. An invaluable, fascinating resource for a school library. -- Jennifer Caddick, teacher * Reading Zone *Even as an adult I have SO many questions about War and Migration. We see reports about conflict and people fleeing their countries every day on the news. Did you know that there are rules which govern what an army can and cannot do? Do you know what a Revolution is? Who are NATO? What are the stages of a peace process? What are borders? Did you know that a person can have more than one passport? These two book brilliantly break down these huge topic, and look at war and its combination of causes through infographics and bitesize descriptions. (review refers to Migrants AND What is War?) * Wrd About Books magazine *This graphic non-fiction book explores the concept of migration and the many causes that can lead to someone becoming a migrant. Covering topics such as European colonisation, migrant routes, the rights of refugees and dangers of trafficking, the author uses accessible language and diagrams to convey a multitude of information. With a useful glossary at the back, this is a guide for better understanding the wider political, historical and geographic aspects of migration. * Reading Matters - Children's Books Ireland *In Migrants, this sometimes emotive subject is explored in a matter of fact and dispassionate way. ...There is an excellent map showing the main migrant routes used in the last thirty five years. ...The author covers the topic thoroughly yet succinctly, posing questions and answering them, progressing logically from one explanation to the next, with just the right amount of detail for older KS2 readers. -- Jill Bennett * Red Reading Hub *Table of ContentsHumanity has always moved 5 What are borders? 6 Why are the borders where they are? 7 Passports and visas 8 How do you get the documentation required to enter a country? 9 Who does NOT have trouble crossing a frontier? 10 Who DOES have trouble crossing a frontier? 11 European colonizations 12 Who can migrate? 14 Where to go? 15 Main migratory routes 16 Why do people migrate? 18 Escaping war 21 Refugees 22 Mobs 24 Summarizing . . . 26 People who don't like that immigrants coming to their country 28 Dossier: The migratory crisis in the Mediterranean 31 Dossier: Migrant caravans to the United States 37

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn an era when immigration on a global scale defines the fears and aspirations of Americans, Restoring America’s Dignity presents the complexities of migration through the stories of families fleeing violence and poverty, the government and nongovernmental organizations helping or hindering their progress, and the American communities receiving them. Ali Noorani, who has spent years building bridges between immigrants and their often conservative communities, takes readers along to Honduras, Ciudad Juarez in Mexico, and Texas, meeting migrants and the organizations and people that help them on both sides of the border, reporting from the inside on why families make the heart-wrenching decision to leave home. Going beyond the polemical, partisan debate, Noorani offers sensitive insights and real solutions. Urgently needed, Restoring America’s Dignity will appeal to a broad audience of concerned citizens across the political spectrum, faith communities, policymakers, and immigrants themselves.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSheds light on one of the most pressing political issues of our time-the human consequences of US immigration policy. This book reveals the suffering and deaths that occur daily in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona as thousands of undocumented migrants attempt to cross the border from Mexico into the United States.Trade Review"The Land of Open Graves is hard to put down. Its violent and vivid content draws you into a reality that we should all know about, and the author's interpretation provides a political and theoretical perspective that challenges conventional beliefs about undocumented migration." TLS "A powerful book ... The Land of Open Graves is very appropriately published in the California Series in Public Anthropology and represents just what public or engaged anthropology can and should be... This is a book that all parties should read." Anthropology Review Database "Important and gut-wrenching ... [De Leon's] engagement with illegal immigration through photography, archeology, forensic science, linguistics, and ethnography is revitalizing in its full encapsulation and acknowledgement of its complexity... I wholly recommend this book." Border Criminologies "Everyone should read this book... De Leon introduces readers to a world that they likely either do not know or wish they could forget." Criminal Law and Criminal Justice BooksTable of ContentsIntroduction PART ONE. THIS HARD LAND 1. Prevention Through Deterrence 2. Dangerous Ground 3. Necroviolence PART TWO. EL CAMINO 4. Memo and Lucho 5. Deported 6. Technological Warfare 7. The Crossing PART THREE. PERILOUS TERRAIN 8. Exposure 9. You Can't Leave Them Behind 10. Maricela 11. We Will Wait until You Get Here 12. Epilogue Acknowledgments Appendix A. Border Patrol Apprehensions, Southern Border Sectors, 2000-2014 Appendix B. Border Patrol Apprehensions, Tucson Sector, by Distance from the Border, Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 Notes References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisSara R. Farris examines the calls for gender equality from an unlikely collection of European right-wing nationalist political parties, neoliberals, and some feminist theorists and policymakers, showing how their exploitation of feminist ideals justifies anti-Islam and anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies.Trade Review"[Farris's] reading of 'femonationalism' as a symptom of neoliberal capitalism gives little hope that a quick or effective solution is possible for the crises at hand. So we are left without certain answers, and that’s as it should be." -- Joan W. Scott * The Nation *"The pertinence of Farris’s volume, especially in the development of immigration policies, is undeniable." -- Visnja Krstic * Cultural Sociology *"Brilliant. . . . Through [Farris's] careful analysis of the political economic dimensions of femonationalism, certain elements of our contemporary landscape are illuminated with startling and disturbing clarity." -- Catherine Rottenberg * Jadaliyya *"A brave monograph." -- Judith Whitehead * Monthly Review *"In the Name of Women’s Rights is a timely book with an impressive scope and rich theoretical diversity. . . . A must-read for anyone concerned with the appropriation of feminism or the operation of Islamophobia in contemporary Europe." -- Julie E. Dowsett * International Feminist Journal of Politics *"Welcome and invigorating." -- Peter Coviello * The Immanent Frame *“In the Name of Women’s Rights is an important and timely contribution to the fields of sociology, gender and women studies, and migration studies. Highly recommended." -- Maya El Helou * Refuge *"An incisive intervention in how we understand rescue narratives of Muslim and non-Western migrant men as perpetrators of violence against Muslim and non-Western migrant women. . . . An important contribution to a range of fields including but not limited to critical race theory, transnational studies, gender and sexuality studies, political science, and sociology." -- Sasha A. Khan * Feminist Formations *"A highly readable, insightful and alarming account of the deployment of a discourse of women’s rights by racist and nationalist movements in Europe. . . . This is a work that deserves to be widely read." -- Gargi Bhattacharyya * Ethnic and Racial Studies *"Farris’s book is comprehensive, thorough, and masterly in accomplishing her key objective, which is, to draw feminist attention toward a new political economic configuration in which neoliberal conditions, feminist politics of gender equality, and right-wing nationalism coalesce to sustain exploitative ideological and material relations between western and nonwestern women. It is indeed a timely and needed study of the political and ethical costs to feminism of the concurrence of civilizational politics and neoliberal economics and thus has applications beyond the European context." -- Amina Jamal * American Journal of Sociology *Table of ContentsAbbreviations ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction: In the Name of Women's Rights 1 1. Figures of Femonationalism 22 2. Femonationalism Is No Populism 57 3. Integration Policies and the Institutionalization of Femonationalism 78 4. Femonationalism, Neoliberalism, and Social Reproduction 115 5. The Political Economy of Femonationalism 146 Notes 183 Bibliography 229 Index 253

Read more less

Book SynopsisExodus is an insightful, expert foray into the explosive issue of immigration, from Paul Collier, award-winning economist and author of The Bottom BillionMass international migration is a response to extreme global inequality, and immigration has a profound impact on the way we live. Yet our views - and those of our politicians - remain caught between two extremes: popular hostility to migrants, tinged by xenophobia and racism; and the view of business and liberal elites that ''open doors'' are both economically and ethically imperative. With migration set to accelerate, few issues are so urgently in need of dispassionate analysis - and few are more incendiary.Here, world-renowned economist Paul Collier seeks to defuse this explosive subject. Exodus looks at how people from the world''s poorest societies struggle to migrate to the rich West: the effects on those left behind and on the host societies, and explores the impulses and thinking that inTrade ReviewExodus is an important book and one I have been waiting to read for many years ... [it is] a work that is humane and hard-headed about one of the greatest issues of our times -- David Goodhart * Sunday Times *Paul Collier is one of the world's most thoughtful economists. His books consistently illuminate and provoke. Exodus is no exception * The Economist *Tinged with poignancy ... a humane and sensible voice in a highly toxic debate -- Colin Kidd * Guardian *Paul Collier's new book on international migration is magisterial. It offers a sophisticated, comprehensive, incisive, multidisciplinary, well-written balance sheet of the pros and cons of immigration for receiving societies, sending societies, and migrants themselves. For everyone on all sides of this contentious issue, Exodus is a "must-read" -- Robert D. Putnam, Professor of Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University[Praise for Paul Collier's The Plundered Planet]: A must-read * Sunday Times *A path-breaking book -- George Soros

Read more less

Book SynopsisSpanning a period of over three hundred years and twenty-five countries, The Penguin Book of Migration Literature is a wide-ranging anthology that brings together well-known authors such as Mohsin Hamid, Zadie Smith and Salman Rushdie alongside emerging writers like Deepak Unnikrishnan, Warsan Shire and Djamila Ibrahim.A compelling and original collection of migration writings, this is a unique work that conveys the intricacies of worldwide migration patterns and the diversity of immigrant experiences.Trade Review“Well-curated collection… The breadth of Ahmad's selections is impressive… This is a first-rate starting point for exploring migration literature and is almost certain to be taught in schools in the near future. Don't miss the ‘Suggestions for Further Reading and Viewing’ at the back of the text, which is also excellently curated…A welcome, pocket-sized introduction to migration literature.”—Kirkus“The diversity of viewpoints and genres makes for an invaluable introduction to the personal dimensions of global immigration.”—Booklist “Migrant voices echo with wit, nostalgia and at times startling poignancy in The Penguin Book of Migration Literature … [Ahmad’s] introduction reads with a prophet’s passion and an academic’s sense of order…. The affecting power of The Penguin Book of Migration Literature … is in its intimacies and observations…”—Los Angeles Times“Editor Dohra Ahmad has curated a challenging and insightful collection that attempts to reveal the myriad ways of experiencing human movement—forced migration and exile are only a part of this story, albeit an important one (…) By presenting history as human stories, it acts as a gateway to empathy and understanding. The collection succeeds where politicians, international organizations, and even journalists sometimes fail because it reminds us of our common humanity. This thoughtful and provoking anthology from Penguin deserves its spot as the new cornerstone text for anyone interested in migration—indeed, the human condition—today.”—Words Without Borders, selected as a Favorite International Read from 2019

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe history of migration from prehistoric man's first steps out of the Rift Valley to the present-day exodus from Syria, and the effects migration has had on language and culture, artistic and scientific advancement throughout history.Table of ContentsEarly forms of Migration. Migration in Recent History. Contemporary Migration. Controversies and Developments.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE 2018 TLS BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2017''Generous and empathetic ... opens up postwar migration in all its richness'' Sukhdev Sandhu, Guardian''Groundbreaking, sophisticated, original, open-minded ... essential reading for anyone who wants to understand not only the transformation of British society after the war but also its character today'' Piers Brendon, Literary Review''Lyrical, full of wise and original observations'' David Goodhart, The TimesThe battered and exhausted Britain of 1945 was desperate for workers - to rebuild, to fill the factories, to make the new NHS work. From all over the world and with many motives, thousands of individuals took the plunge. Most assumed they would spend just three or four years here, sending most of their pay back home, but instead large numbers stayed - and transformed the country.Drawing on an amazing array of unusual aTrade ReviewA lyrical account... deeply researched and full of wise and original observations about migration -- David Goodhart * The Times *Strangers and Lovers is brimming with new archival sources, careful cullings of governmental documents and oral histories - the book encompasses poetry and fiction as well as sociological accounts. -- Sukhdev Sandhu * Guardian *Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand not only the transformation of British society after the war but also its character today -- Piers Brendon * Literary Review *Masterful... these are the stories of Britain's yesterdays, todays and tomorrows, and they could hardly be more timely. -- Christopher Kissane * Financial Times *Her well-written, readable story evolves like a novel or film script with key characters. -- Times Higher EducationWhat you get in Lovers and Strangers is a mix of oral history, scholarly analysis and impressionistic essay -- Clive Davis * The Times *The perfect post-Brexit book -- Arifa Akbar * Evening Standard *Lovers and Strangers presents a historically rich view of immigration to Britain. Wills writes with both humour and detail about the lives of thousands of single men from Poland, Ireland, the West Indies and South Asia. Many of her tales are filled with the music, alcohol and nightlife which occupied the attentions of thousands of single men -- Burhan Wazir * Chatham House *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''This is a miracle of a book'' George Lamming''Compelling. Stuart Hall''s story is the story of an age'' Owen Jones ''Sometimes I feel I was the last colonial''This is the story, in his own words, of the extraordinary life of Stuart Hall: writer, thinker and one of the leading intellectual lights of his age. Growing up in a middle-class family in 1930s Jamaica, then still a British colony, Hall found himself caught between two worlds: the stiflingly respectable middle class in Kingston, who, in their habits and ambitions, measured themselves against the white planter elite; and working-class and peasant Jamaica, neglected and grindingly poor, though rich in culture, music and history. But as colonial rule was challenged, things began to change in Jamaica and across the world.When, in 1951, a scholarship took him across the Atlantic to Oxford University, Hall encountered other Caribbean writers and thinkers, from Sam Selvon and George Lamming to V. S. Naipaul. He also forged friendships with the likes of Raymond Williams and E. P. Thompson, with whom he worked in the formidable political movement, the New Left, and developed his groundbreaking ideas on cultural theory. Familiar Stranger takes us to the heart of Hall''s struggle in post-war England: that of building a home and a life in a country where, rapidly, radically, the social landscape was transforming, and urgent new questions of race, class and identity were coming to light.Told with passion and wisdom, this is a story of how the forces of history shape who we are.Trade ReviewMuch more than a memoir, Familiar Stranger is a fascinating insight into how a life shapes a brilliant mind -- Andrea LevyThis is a miracle of a book -- George LammingCompelling. Stuart Hall's story is the story of an age. He was a pioneer in the struggle for racial, cultural, and political liberation. He has transformed the way we think -- Owen JonesVivid... a subtle and subversive memoir of the end of Empire -- Colin Grant * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, FINANCIAL TIMES and EVENING STANDARD BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2018Whiteshift tells the most important political story of the 21st century: how demographic change is transforming Western politics and how to think about the future of white majorities''Powerful and rigorously researched. . . this is a book that speaks to the most urgent and difficult issues of our time'' - John Gray, author of Seven Types of AtheismThis is the century of whiteshift. As Western societies are becoming increasingly mixed-race, demographic change is transforming politics. Over half of American babies are non-white, and by the end of the century, minorities and those of mixed race are projected to form the majority in the UK and other countries. The early stages of this transformation have led to a populist disruption, tearing a path through the usual politics of left and right. One of the most crucial challengeTrade ReviewA magisterial survey of the most important political trend of the 21st century so far. It will be controversial - but mostly with those who dislike evidence, are horrified by open mindedness, and who find it convenient to ignore truth. It should be required reading for today's rulers; they may not like it, but they need to understand Kaufmann's defence of democracy before it's too late -- Trevor PhillipsA powerful and rigorously researched exploration of how demographic change is transforming western societies and politics. Rejecting extreme nationalism and extreme liberal individualism alike, Kaufmann uses a wealth of empirical data to carve out a space for a multivocal and flexible political system that recognises ethnic identities without sacrificing liberal values of freedom and tolerance. Whether or not you end up agreeing with it, this is a book that speaks to the most urgent and difficult issues of our time -- John Gray, author of Seven Types of AtheismWhiteshift is a big, brilliant, ambitious book - perhaps the first truly definitive book of the Trump era. Meticulous, challenging, and provocative, this is the rare book that takes it upon itself to try to shift our entire way of thinking on the most difficult question of our time - inevitable demographic and ethnic change in the United States and Europe -- Shadi Hamid, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution and author of Islamic ExceptionalismExtraordinary. . . a tour de force that could expand the so-called "Overton window" - the range of what is acceptable to say - on these central issues -- David Goodhart * Sunday Times *A detailed analysis of attitudes to race breaks the taboo on this vital subject . . . Anyone interested in preparing for the future would do well to read this book. . . Part of the usefulness of the book is in the amount of new data that Kaufmann brings to the debate. As well as his statistical analysis Kaufmann also displays an extraordinarily deep and wide historical knowledge -- Douglas Murray * Evening Standard *A giant of a book, channelling together cascades of polls, data sets and excursions in history to produce a conclusion of qualified optimism. . . does the large service of telling liberals and leftists who prefer to remain shocked rather than to work at understanding that their fellow citizens are not, in the main, deplorable bigots, and that white fear is real, but need not be dangerous -- John Lloyd * Financial Times *An essential read for liberals. In among its many graphs and reports of surveys are a series of salutary reminders of how easily the idea of a threat from strangers can become a dominant political issue. You may not agree with Kaufmann, but you have to deal with him -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *An explosive book -- Robbie Millen * The Times Books of the Year *A monumental study of ethno-demographic change and the rise of populism across the rich world. . . ranges far beyond Brexit and Britain and puts a parochial debate in a much bigger context * Economist *A very substantial book with important things to say about identity, migration, populism and other questions of the moment. . . One of the best aspects of Kaufmann's book is its optimism -- Michael Burleigh * Literary Review *An insightful study of demographic change in the US, UK, Canada, Europe and Australia -- Munira Mirza * Daily Telegraph *

Read more less

Book Synopsis⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''OMG!!! This has to be my best book of the year!... Made me laugh and it made me cry!... So heartbreaking but inspiring at the same time. Loved it!'' Goodreads ReviewerA powerful novel about an intersex Nigerian teenager and the courage to be yourself.Raised as a boy in a grand but unhappy family in Nigeria, Otolorin Akinro escapes to boarding school knowing two things: she is truly a girl, and to stay safe, she must hide that truth.Away from the cruelty of her childhood home, Oto blooms even as she strives to be the best boy she can, finding true friendship and working hard to earn a scholarship to an American university, hoping someone out there might help her understand the secrets her body holds.But she cannot stay away forever. Back home for the holidays, though Oto and her beloved twin sister are overjoyed to see each other, their mother''s violence erupts once more and when a terribTrade ReviewAn Ordinary Wonder is a spellbinding tale that prompts deep reflection around concepts of gender and identity. Buki Papillion's writing has a vivid beauty that kept me enthralled throughout -- Angela ChadwickBeautifully and delicately written, I felt a range of emotions while reading it. Papillon is a scintillating storyteller. We need more stories like this! -- Elizabeth OkohThis brilliant and ultimately uplifting debut antidotes the hard realities of gender-based violence, secrecy and family estrangement with the transformative forces of Yoruba spirituality, intergenerational nurturing and queer forms of kinship. From all that's foreclosed emerges a story of hope and optimism towards possible futures. Utterly stunning -- Isabel WaidnerPapillon draws on African mythology and art to create a rich, moving and uplifting story * Stylist *An Ordinary Wonder blew me away with its tender portrait of innocence, vulnerability and strength. Deftly, wisely, Papillon weaves together strands of history and identity which are too often separated. An Ordinary Wonder is nothing short of wonderful and anything but ordinary -- Okechukwu Nzelu author of The Private Joys of Nnenna MaloneyAn Ordinary Wonder is a profoundly moving book, all the more so for featuring an unforgettable protagonist in Otolorin, who will captivate readers with her hope, humour and joy of life. Being in Otolorin's company is never less than uplifting. Buki Papillon's writing is wonderfully vivid, and she treats all her characters - even the villains in Otolorin's family - with astonishing empathy -- Elodie HarperEntirely unique. In the face of prejudice and ignorance, An Ordinary Wonder sparkles with hope, insight, and humour -- Abigail DeanHighlights the limiting dangers of the gender binary, while also reminding us of the power storytelling has to help us envision a more expansive and inclusive world. * New York Times *A captivating queer coming of age story...[an] important one; there aren't many stories like Otolorin's in bookstores right now * Refinery29 *Delicate, emotional and beautiful... One you won't be able to put down * News 24 *A terrific coming-of-age story exploring complex desires as well as what it means to feel whole * YNaija Books of the Year *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'âfrom time to time a study comes along that truly can be called âpath breaking,â âseminal,â âessential,â a âmust read.â How the Irish Became White is such a study.' John Bracey, W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies, University of Massachussetts, AmherstThe Irish came to America in the eighteenth century, fleeing a homeland under foreign occupation and a caste system that regarded them as the lowest form of humanity. In the new country â a land of opportunity â they found a very different form of social hierarchy, one that was based on the color of a personâs skin. Noel Ignatievâs 1995 book â the first published work of one of Americaâs leading and most controversial historians â tells the story of how the oppressed became the oppressors; how the new Irish immigrants achieved acceptance among an initially hostile population only by proving that they could be more brutal in their oppression of African Americans than the nativists. This is the story of How the Irish Became White.Trade Review'…from time to time a study comes along that truly can be called ‘path breaking,’ ‘seminal,’ ‘essential,’ a ‘must read.’ How the Irish Became White is such a study.' - John Bracey, W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies, University of Massachussetts, Amherst'…from time to time a study comes along that truly can be called ‘path breaking,’ ‘seminal,’ ‘essential,’ a ‘must read.’ How the Irish Became White is such a study.' John Bracey, W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies, University of Massachussetts, AmherstTable of ContentsIntroduction to the Routledge Classics Edition. List of Illustrations. Acknowledgements. Introduction Part 1: Something in the Air Part 2: White Negroes and Smoked Irish Part 3: The Transubstantiation of an Irish Revolutionary Part 4: They Swung their Picks Part 5: The Tumultuous Republic Part 6: From Protestant Ascendancy to White Republic

Read more less

Book SynopsisMichael Woolf (he/him) teaches theology at Lewis University. He is also an ordained American Baptist pastor who has served faith communities in Massachusetts and Illinois for over a decade.Trade ReviewSanctuary and Subjectivity is a book for our current zeitgeist. At a time when the theological academy has finally caught sight of the phenomenon that is whiteness and its impact on the boundaries and borders that are policed by White nationalism, Michael Woolf's book is a breath of fresh air. It offers us a challenging and inspiring look at one of the major fault lines in our contemporary life. This is a must read! * Anthony G. Reddie, University of Oxford, UK *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1 The Limits of Benevolence: Autoethnographic Notes on Sanctuary Chapter 2 Practicing Sanctuary: The Formation of a Practice in Real-Time Chapter 3 Becoming Refugees: Human Rights Discourse and Subjectivity Chapter 4 "We Just Couldn't Help Ourselves": Whiteness and the Sanctuary Movement Chapter 5 The Insurgent Collaborative Church: Ecclesiologies Beyond Sanctuary Conclusion Directions in Practical Theology Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the century before the great famine of the late 1840s, the Irish people, and the poor especially, became increasingly dependent on the potato for their food. So when potato blight struck, causing the tubers to rot in the ground, they suffered a grievous loss. Thus began a catastrophe in which approximately one million people lost their lives and many more left Ireland for North America, changing the country forever. During and after this terrible human crisis, the British government was bitterly accused of not averting the disaster or offering enough aid. Some even believed that the Whig government''s policies were tantamount to genocide against the Irish population. James Donnelly''s account looks closely at the political and social consequences of the great Irish potato famine and explores the way that natural disasters and government responses to them can alter the destiny of nations.Trade ReviewThis is unquestionably the most comprehensive single account of the Irish catastrophe... -- Professor Peter Gray... many historians have written excellent books about the great Irish famine ... Donnelly's is the best and most comprehensive of them all. -- Kerby Miller, Middlebush Professor of HistoryJames Donnelly's book is likely to become the classic account of the Great Famine, and the first port of call for both students and general readers. -- Professor Peter Gray

Read more less

Book SynopsisFolk stories from different cultures about the Little People that inhabit hidden lands

Read more less

Book SynopsisChosen as a BOOK OF THE YEAR in the Sunday Times, Stylist and Observer''A multifaceted novel that is funny, verbally inventive and moving'' Sunday Times, Book of the Year''In Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra (John Murray) a young woman escapes from Italy to Hollywood, leaving her father behind. The story moves between the real war and the better version Hollywood is busy creating. Sometimes tragic, often hilarious'' Karen Joy Fowler, Observer, Books of the Year''Its prose pulses with humour, wit and affection'' Mail on SundayThe epic tale of a brilliant woman who must reinvent herself to survive, moving from Mussolini''s Italy to 1940s Los Angeles-a timeless story of love, deceit, and sacrifice from the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of A Constellation of Vital PhenomenaLike many before her, Trade ReviewA smart satiric novel about Hollywood in the 1940s, war, fascism and personal drama -- ISABEL ALLENDE * Daily Mail, Best Reads of 2022 *Crackling with wit and suffused with insight, Anthony Marra's new novel is as epic in sweep as a movie set yet delineates the inner workings of the human heart with a miniaturist's precision. Mercury Pictures Presents explores the endless give-and-take between life and art, the cost of integrity, and the ways we must make peace with the past in order to move forward toward the future . . . A genuinely moving and life-affirming novel that's a true joy to read -- CELESTE NGSmart, heartfelt, and sneaky funny, Mercury Pictures Presents has all the breadth and power of an epic, and the attention to detail of an intimate conversation. I read it in a state of admiration for the beauty Anthony Marra has wrung from the English language -- SARA NOVIC, author of GIRL AT WAR and TRUE BIZA novel so rich and wondrous, written with such grace and wit, that there's only one word for Anthony Marra: a genius -- SALLY MANN, author of HOLD STILL, finalist for the National Book AwardAchingly beautiful . . . You laugh, then you sigh, then you weep. Extraordinary -- LUIS URREA, bestselling author THE DEVIL'S HIGHWAY and THE HUMMINGBIRD'S DAUGHTERMercury Pictures Presents is a wonder - intimate and sweeping, heartfelt and satirical, one of the funniest and most moving novels I've read in a long time. A novel of fascism, war, and refugees finding freedom through art and storytelling, it's both a joy to read and highly relevant to our times -- JESS WALTER, #1 New York Times bestselling author of BEAUTIFUL RUINS and THE ANGEL OF ROMEMarra brings his considerable gifts for scope and scene to early Hollywood, animating, as he does so thrillingly, the city, the players, the war, and the repercussions of small and huge actions on families, fates, countries, and film. And: this fully-realized world is also really funny! I laughed aloud many times, even as I marveled -- AIMEE BENDER, author of THE PARTICULAR SADNESS OF LEMON CAKEAnthony Marra is a writer of boundless talent: he is a top-notch historian, a razor-sharp social critic, a deeply sensitive psychologist, and an exuberant satirist - all at the same time . . . A singularly pleasurable read - smart, sad, hilarious, and always full of heart -- NATHAN HILL, bestselling author of THE NIXIt is impossible to do justice to Marra's smooth, sweeping style in bits - viewed in isolation, such descriptions could easily seem overwrought and clumsy - but knit together, these pieces have striking command and authority * International New York Times *The author's fans will recognize his elegant resolution of tangled disasters, his heartbreaking poignancy, his eye for historical curiosities that exceed the parameters of fiction... Marra unspools this period comedy with so much old-time snappy wit that Mercury Pictures Presents should come with popcorn and a 78-ounce Coke * Washington Post *You'll laugh, you'll cry in the marvelous 'Mercury Pictures Presents' about 1940s Hollywood * San Francisco Chronicle *Summer is a time for blockbusters and Anthony Marra has delivered the goods with Mercury Pictures Presents, a sweeping book about 1940s Hollywood, Mussolini's Italy and America's entry into the second world war . . . a deft and convincing writer with a sharp turn of phrase and a dark sense of humour that ignites every page... [It] will win him committed new fans and, if there is any literary justice, prizes * Spectator *Its inventive prose pulses with humour, wit and affection * Mail on Sunday *Marra's glowing prose brings the intricate story to life, and his chapter-and-verse world-building will thrill Golden Age devotees * Sight and Sound *A bravura work and a real thrill-ride * The Crack Magazine *Funny, verbally inventive and, ultimately, very moving, Mercury Pictures Presents is a wonderful novel * Sunday Times, Historical Fiction Book of the Month *An excellent holiday read -- TOM SUTCLIFFE * BBC Radio 4 Front Row *The success of Mercury Pictures Presents, both the novel and the Hollywood entity it depicts, is evanescent and ambiguous, enduring and clear all at once. Whether Artie, the showman, and Maria, the book's historical anchor and ethical conscience, will survive is one question, but the ideas posed by Marra's novel assuredly do, and they resonate all the more strongly through our own contemporary, distressingly fascist-adjacent, moment * New York Times *The story moves between the real war and the better version Hollywood is busy creating. Sometimes tragic, often hilarious -- Karen Joy Fowler * Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA Times, Financial Times and Telegraph Book of the Year 2023'Illuminates some of the great trends of our time' - Gideon Rachman, Financial Times'Vivid, urgent and unsettling' - Tom Holland, author of Dominion_____What does it now mean to call yourself European? Who makes up this population of some 750 million, sprawled from Ireland to Ukraine, from Sweden to Turkey? Who has always called it home, and who has newly arrived from elsewhere? Who are the people who drive our long-distance lorries, steward our criss-crossing planes, lovingly craft our legacy wines, fish our depleted waters, and risk life itself in search of safety and a new start?In a series of vivid but always empathetic portraits of other people’s lives, journalist Ben Judah invites us to meet them. Drawn from hours of painstaking interviews, these vital stories reveal a vibrant continent which has been transformed by Trade ReviewThrilling, first-hand tales that explore the danger and ambitions of life in Europe. * The Financial Times, A Book of the Year 2023 *If you wish to know what Europe is becoming without us in its club, you'd do well to read Ben Judah's This Is Europe. * Telegraph, A Book of the Year 2023 *Imagine Ballard and Houellebecq teaming up on a Grand Tour, and you will have some idea of just how vivid, urgent and unsettling this superbly written book is. * Tom Holland *Unflinching . . . a powerful piece of reportage. * The Guardian *An extraordinary series of interviews. -- Rory StewartDeeply empathetic. Judah is an ace reporter with a novelist's love of character. He conjures people and place in a modern literary form he has made his own. There's no romance to this journey across Europe — but an abundance of story which will make you lurch between fascination, laughter and tears. -- Sophy Roberts, author of The Lost Pianos of SiberiaMakes you expand the boundaries of your sympathies and your understanding. It’s an astonishing achievement. * Evening Standard *A kaleidoscope of bright human experience. Moving, poignant and compelling – I devoured this in a day. -- Jenny Kleeman, author of Sex Robots & Vegan MeatBrilliantly vivid. * Daily Mail *Illuminating . . . a bold literary and journalistic experiment. Judah knows how to tell a story and does so with panache. * The Spectator *Ben Judah has the ability to listen and retell, see and describe, feel and convey . . . Judah paints another Europe with intense and dramatic detail – a Europe that you may not recognize, but that you will look for every day having read this book. -- Andrey Kurkov, author of Death and the PenguinAn impressive work, like a chorus. * TLS *Superb . . . a compelling read. * The New European *A hallucinatory tour de force . . . life affirming. * The Jewish Chronicle *Such an ambitious project it automatically deserves applause . . . reminds us that below every system and conflict there are human beings. * Irish Times *Captivating. * Le Monde *A singular journalistic achievement. * The Fence *A fabulous book. -- Quentin Lafay * France Culture *'Poignant and powerful . . . reveals a Europe in a time of profound change. * Diplomatic Courier *Pick a chapter and you will be dropped in the middle of a fascinating tale . . . absorbing and addictive. * Politico podcast *Sprawling, impressionistic, occasionally exhilarating . . . narratives which rest upon the force of raw experience. * European Review of Books *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis journey to the edge of Europe mixes history, travelogue and oral testimony to spellbinding and revelatory effect.Few countries have suffered more from the convulsions and bloodshed of twentieth-century Europe than those in the eastern Baltic. Small nations such as the Baltic States of Latvia and Estonia found themselves caught between the giants of Germany and Russia, on a route across which armies surged or retreated. Subjected to foreign domination and conquest since the Northern crusades in the twelfth century, these lands faced frequent devastation as Germans, Russians and Swedish colonisers asserted control of the territory, religion, government, culture and inhabitants. The Glass Wall features an extraordinary cast of characters – contemporary and historical, foreign and indigenous – who have lived and fought in the Baltic and made the atmosphere of what was often thought to be western Europe’s furthest redoubt. Too often it has seemed to be the destiny of this region to be the front line of other people’s wars. By telling the stories of warriors and victims, of philosophers and Baltic Barons, of poets and artists, of rebels and emperors, and others who lived through years of turmoil and violence, Max Egremont reveals a fascinating part of Europe, on a frontier whose limits may still be in doubt.'Fascinating . . . a rich, nuanced account of life on "the Baltic frontier"' - The Times'Excellent' - Daily Mail'Extraordinary' - Literary Review'Exemplary' - EconomistTrade ReviewFascinating . . . a rich, nuanced account of life on “the Baltic frontier” * The Times *Excellent . . . Boasting a fascinating cast of characters, it is a book which reveals a part of Europe with a complex history and an intriguing present -- Nick Rennison * Daily Mail *Extraordinary . . . a brilliant exploration of how the past infuses the landscape, buildings, art, literature, traditions, food, conversations and lived experience of the Baltic people * Literary Review *Confidently written, featuring reportage interwoven with his own and other writers’ literary and genealogical insights . . . The author also writes sympathetically about the trauma of the second world war . . . Exemplary, bringing together a grand historical narrative, local details, accounts of lives shaped and shattered, and architectural and literary insights * Economist *A restlessly enquiring guide . . . With rare narrative, Egremont offers an elegy for a forgotten land * Financial Times *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'In this thrilling debut collection Alexia Arthurs is all too easy to love.' Zadie Smith'Impressive' Observer'A summer must-read' StylistOne of Oprah Magazine's 15 Favourite Books of 2018.‘There is a way to be cruel that seems Jamaican to me.’Tenderness and cruelty, loyalty and betrayal, ambition and regret – Alexia Arthurs navigates these tensions to extraordinary effect in her debut collection of short stories, How to Love a Jamaican, about Jamaican immigrants and their families back home. Sweeping from close-knit island communities to the streets of New York City and Midwestern university towns, these eleven stories form a portrait of a nation, a people, and a way of life.In ‘Light Skinned Girls and Kelly Rowlands’, an NYU student befriends a fellow Jamaican whose privileged West Coast upbringing has blinded her to the hard realities of race. In ‘Mash Up Love’, a twin’s chance sighting of his estranged brother – the prodigal son of the family – stirs up unresolved feelings of resentment. In ‘Bad Behavior’, a mother and father leave their wild teenage daughter with her grandmother in Jamaica, hoping the old ways will straighten her out. In ‘Mermaid River’, a Jamaican teenage boy is reunited with his mother in New York after eight years apart. In ‘The Ghost of Jia Yi’, a recently murdered international student haunts a despairing Jamaican athlete recruited to an Iowa college. And in ‘Shirley from a Small Place’, a world-famous pop star retreats to her mother’s big new house in Jamaica, which still holds the power to restore something vital.The winner of the Paris Review’s Plimpton Prize for ‘Bad Behavior’, Alexia Arthurs emerges in this vibrant, lyrical, intimate collection as one of fiction’s most dynamic and essential young authors.Trade ReviewAlexia Arthurs' How to love a Jamaican is sharp and kind, bitter and sweet. It stays in the yard, delicately attentive to the ways of country folks, and it leaves home with them, too, as they head to 'foreign' - that place across the water where barrels get filled to be sent back home and people are never quite as happy as they expected to be. In these kaleidoscopic stories of Jamaica and its diaspora we hear many voices at once: some cultivated, some simple, some wickedly funny, some deeply melancholic. All of them convince and sing. All of them shine. In this thrilling debut collection Alexia Arthurs is all too easy to love. -- Zadie SmithAlexia Arthurs is a writer of beauty, wit, and precision; these stories will grab you by the heart. This is a boss collection. -- NoViolet Bulawayo, author of We Need New NamesI am utterly taken with these gorgeous, tender, heartbreaking stories. Arthurs is a witty, perceptive, and generous writer, and this is a book that will last -- Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other PartiesWhat a thrill to recognize myself and the women I love in Alexia Arthurs’ stunning debut story collection, How to Love a Jamaican. This fantastic young writer conjures the fierce wit of Jamaica Kincaid and the deft storytelling of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Entrancing and unforgettable. -- Naomi Jackson, author of The Star Side of Bird HillAlexia Arthurs is a voice so many of us have been waiting for — funny, achingly specific and wonderfully universal. She explores what it means to belong, what it means to recognize yourself in the most unexpected places, and what humans do with the pain of longing. -- Kaitlyn Greenidge, author of We Love You, Charlie FreemanFrom a world weary Jamaican pop star in desperate need of the restorative powers of home to a queer woman returned to the Island after decades in the US, a host of seekers and sojourners fill the pages of Alexia Arthurs' sweeping debut. This collection is brimming with tenderness, hard realities and an intimacy that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page. -- Ayana Mathis, author of the The Twelve Tribes of HattieI really enjoyed this gorgeous collection of short stories from Jamaican-American author Arthurs, which move between Jamaica and the US. Particularly affecting is "Mash Up Love", where a successful elder son still strives to impress his mother although his deadbeat brother is seen as the prodigal son, and "Bad Behaviour", where a wild Brooklyn teenager is sent back to Jamaica to live with her grandmother. Zadie Smith is also a fan. -- Alice O'Keeffe * Bookseller *This absorbing, engaging collection is the kind of book you rave about to your friends because you see so much of yourself, and them, in its characters . . . Arthurs's debut is vivid and exciting, and every story rings beautifully true. * Marie Claire *A must-read this summer * Elle.com *In this exploration of Jamaica and its diaspora, Arthurs masterfully teases out the joys and sorrows of cultural bifurication. The result is a symphony of voices for a generation * Financial Times *In her riveting debut collection of short stories, Arthurs explores a vast range of issues, from race and class to gender and family. A Jamaican immigrant who moved to Brooklyn at the impressionable age of 12, she tells vivid stories that keep readers on their toes. * Essence *While the stories have a rawness to them, exploring topics such as sexual orientation, parental relationships, self-discovery, and drug use, Arthurs also offers a sure feel of the mysticism of the Caribbean . . . Stylistically reminiscent of Toni Morrison’s Paradise, this successful literary debut will appeal to readers of literary and Caribbean fiction. * Library Journal *Jamaican immigrant and return-migration stories told with unsentimental honesty. Eleven short stories examine the immigrant experience through the prism of place, food, gender, and generations . . . thankfully devoid of violin-swelling nostalgia, these stories unravel the knot of being in a place but not quite belonging and the sense of missing but not quite understanding what was lost . . . [a] strong debut collection, which beckons the reader back, again and again. A lovely collection of stories that rewards subsequent readings. * Kirkus Review *Sometimes the best kind of summer reads are those you can dip in and out of in-between dips in the pool. Alexia Arthurs’ debut collection of eleven short stories is a patchwork blanket of tales, voices, emotions and experiences. Dancing between sadness, humour, heartbreak, longing and belonging, Arthurs’ offers up an observant, poignant and lyrical portrait of the lives of Jamaican immigrants and the families they’ve left behind, as well as the nation as a whole. * Culturefly *A timely exploration of multigenerational waves of immigration, the impact separating families has on children and the desire to be included . . . The stories hum with tension and nuance, creating characters desperate to be understood but wary of being defined simply by their race or origins * AP News *As vibrant and full of life on the inside as it is on the outside. You won’t believe that it’s Arthurs' debut * Hello Giggles *A vibrant, wrenching, and expansive short story collection that illuminates the nuances of the immigrant experience * Bustle *This distinctive debut story collection features protagonists of Jamaican descent, on the island and in the U.S, mostly as young people struggling to find themselves in the tangle of their roots. Arthurs infuses these excellent stories with melodic patois, and characters from pop stars and athletes to students segue between immigration and return-migration . . . wonderful * National Book Review *How to Love a Jamaican amplifies a perpetual wrestling between the old world we knew and the new world we know, and how one navigates life’s obstacles with, without or in spite of love * Hazlitt *Vivid, atmospheric and also recommended by Zadie Smith, How To Love A Jamaican has left me hungry for a full-length novel from this debut author. -- Sarra Manning * Red *A cool, savvy, rich and colourful pleasure, delivered by an ‘immigrant’ writer as tuned into Lena Dunham as she is to old-wives’ tales in rural Jamaica. * Big Issue *Beautifully written and absorbing . . . a complex and rich collection of stories that is quite simply unmissable. * Emerald Street *The stories in the collection are searing and deeply moving; Arthurs does not shield the reader from the pain and generational trauma of her characters . . . Arthurs’ stories are tender but unapologetically raw. How To Love A Jamaican is delicate in its storytelling, and powerful in its centring of the voices and narratives of women and girls in an urgent and sensitive critique of inequality. -- Leah Cowan * Wasafiri *Devastating * Oprah Magazine *Zadie Smith has lavished praise on this collection and it’s no wonder – Arthurs’s stories share Smith’s tender and melancholic nostalgia. * Prospect *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA Sunday Times Paperback of the Year 'I can’t tell you how refreshing it is in these polarised times to read a book on politics that doesn’t have an axe to grind . . . an essential read.' - The Sunday TimesJason Cowley, editor-in-chief of the New Statesman, examines contemporary England through a handful of the key news stories from recent times to reveal what they tell us about the state of the nation and to answer the question Who Are We Now?Spanning the years since the election of Tony Blair’s New Labour government to the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, the book investigates how England has changed and how those changes have affected us. Cowley weaves together the seemingly disparate stories of the Chinese cockle-pickers who drowned in Morecambe Bay, the East End Imam who was tested during a summer of terror, the pensioner who campaigned against the closure of her GP’s surgery and Gareth Southgate’s transformation of English football culture. And in doing so, Cowley shows the common threads that unite them, whether it is attitudes to class, nation, identity, belonging, immigration, or religion.He also examines the so-called Brexit murder in Harlow, the haunting repatriation of the fallen in the Iraq and Afghan wars through Wootton Bassett, the Lancashire woman who took on Gordon Brown, and the flight of the Bethnal Green girls to Islamic State, fleshing out the headlines with the very human stories behind them.Through these vivid and often moving stories, Cowley offers a clear and compassionate analysis of how and why England became so divided and the United Kingdom so fragmented, and how we got to this cultural and political crossroads. Most importantly, he also shows us the many ways in which there is genuine hope for the future.Trade ReviewI can’t tell you how refreshing it is in these polarised times to read a book on politics that doesn’t have an axe to grind . . . It is wonderfully written, the pages littered with poetic and literary references, as you might expect from an outstanding journalist . . . an essential read. * The Sunday Times *Subtle, sophisticated . . . compellingly told . . . This is a gentle and intelligent book, refreshingly unpolemical and reflective. -- Julian Coman * Observer Book of the Week *First-rate . . . [Cowley] is a broad-minded observer, a true liberal if that description may still be applied, and his elegance is all the more attractive for its absence of gloss . . . If you open this book for instruction, you may find much of value in the author’s selection of snapshots from his life and the lives of others. You will certainly read it with pleasure. -- Michael Henderson * The Times *Interesting . . . there is a certain Orwellian (in the best sense) curiosity and insightfulness * Sunday Telegraph *As someone who zips around England — and the wider UK every week — this book really resonates with me. Wonderfully written with colourful and incisive accounts of contemporary England -- Chris Mason, Presenter of BBC Radio 4's Any Questions?A beautiful piece of storytelling – the British eyed from unexpected places, from China to the middle of the middle of the middle. The question will never go away but these answers help us a lot -- Andrew MarrA balanced, insightful analysis of the past 30 years of English politics and identity, taking in New Labour, immigration, Brexit and the pandemic. -- Andrew Holgate and Laura Hackett * The Times '100 Best Books for Summer' *The New Statesman editor goes back to his Essex roots in this intelligent book about patriotism, which confronts Orwell’s puzzle: why is “England perhaps the only great country whose intellectuals are ashamed of their own nationality”? -- Philip Johnston * The Daily Telegraph 'Best Books for Summer' *Fascinating . . . a pleasure to read. Cowley has an eye and an ear for the small details that add emotional depth to his reports. -- Robert Shrimsley * Financial Times *Urgent and timely . . . Cowley powerfully demonstrates how these vivid, half-forgotten stories have contributed to a fragmented England, and offers a vision for how we can embrace the lessons learned to build a bright new future. -- Scarlett Sangster * Breaking News Ireland *A liberal and humane analysis informed by quiet patriotism. [Cowley] doesn’t try to define what England “is” or represents but searches instead for its emotional and cultural underpinnings . . . ruminative and reflective, informed by observation and without polemics. -- John Freeman * Reaction magazine *National identity is at the heart of Who Are We Now? Stories of Modern England . . . It is told through a series of stories, merging the personal and the political – stories of conflict and division but also ultimately of hope. -- Tom Gatti * New Statesman 'What to read this year: non-fiction' *A lyrical blend of the personal and the political, with echoes of Orwell, this book uncovers the hidden story of a fragmented nation. -- Helen Lewis, journalist, broadcaster and author of Difficult WomenJason Cowley’s well-researched reports and excellent analysis of modern England lead to two inexorable conclusions. "We" – the people of England – are certainly not who we once were; and "we" are far from agreeing who we mean when we talk of "us." Fascinating, disturbing and brilliantly insightful, especially on towns like Harlow in Essex which are not so much left behind, as overlooked and ignored. -- Gavin Esler, author of How Britain EndsJason Cowley’s humane and sharply observed book aims to piece together what the Victorians called "the condition of England question", through meditations on Blair’s Britain through to Brexit, from civil war in Syria to Covid-19. Who Are We Now? is blessed by curiosity and emphathy for the many overlapping stories from Margate to Morecambe and beyond. The traps of the metropole are avoided and the result is a work of unobtrusive and softly spoken patriotism, written to stand the test of time -- John Bew, author of the Orwell Prize-winning Citizen Clem: A Biography of AttleeCowley offers a haunting 'condition of England' masterpiece, the multiple Englands of his intimate stories elusive, at the mercy of forces far beyond any individual's hopes, somehow enduring. This is a beautifully written meditation of the recent English past and what understanding the plurality of Englishness demands of the English. -- Helen Thompson, co-host of the Talking Politics podcastBehind every electoral statistic, every social and political change is an evocative human story. With his characteristic clarity and flair Jason Cowley pulls out such particularly poignant, and redolent of the spirit of our times, stories. In doing so, he adds a crucial and often overlooked layer to our narratives of modern Britain and the historical tides of the last few decades. The lives of real people jump from these pages to form a rich tapestry, from the extremely dramatic to the most mundane, to shed light on what divides and what unites us, and what makes us the society we are today. -- Maria Sobolewska, co-author of Brexitland: Identity, Diversity and the Reshaping of British Politics.I really recommend [Who Are We Now?], a wonderfully thoughtful, melancholy and moving read -- Dominic Sandbrook, historian and co-host of The Rest is History Terrific. Absolutely fascinating - highly recommended by me. -- Iain Martin, editor of Reaction A trenchant, but also moving, personal analysis of why England has become so divided, which finds hope for the future in the compassion for others that characterized the pandemic. -- Caroline Sanderson * Bookseller Ones to Watch *Engaging . . . This is an important and readable book - a rare combination. -- Neill Denny * BookBrunch *Despite the sadness and the concern, Cowley’s story is no jeremiad. He finds more grounds for hope than despair . . . The writing is excellent throughout, with an engagingly allusive literary quality. -- Brendan Simms * Engelsberg Ideas *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn impassioned defence of global immigration from the acclaimed author of Maximum City.Drawing on his family’s own experience emigrating from India to Britain and America, and years of reporting around the world, Suketu Mehta subjects the worldwide anti-immigrant backlash to withering scrutiny. The West, he argues, is being destroyed not by immigrants but by the fear of immigrants. He juxtaposes the phony narratives of populist ideologues with the ordinary heroism of labourers, nannies and others, from Dubai to New York, and explains why more people are on the move today than ever before. As civil strife and climate change reshape large parts of the planet, it is little surprise that borders have become so porous. This Land is Our Land also stresses the destructive legacies of colonialism and global inequality on large swathes of the world. When today’s immigrants are asked, ‘Why are you here?’, they can justly respond, ‘We are here because you were there.’ And now that they are here, as Mehta demonstrates, immigrants bring great benefits, enabling countries and communities to flourish. Impassioned, rigorous, and richly stocked with memorable stories and characters, This Land Is Our Land is a timely and necessary intervention, and literary polemic of the highest order.Trade ReviewA meticulously researched and deeply felt corrective to the public narrative of who today’s migrants are, why they are coming, and what economic and historical forces have propelled them from their homes into faraway lands... This Land Is Our Land reads like an impassioned survey course on migration, laying bare the origins of mass migration in searing clarity... well argued, cathartic and abundantly sourced. * The New York Times Book Review *There are many mic-drop moments and eminently quotable lines... [This Land Is Our Land] is a blistering argument that earns its place in this emotional debate. * Wall Street Journal *Mehta’s book is a brilliant, deliberately political rebuff to the increasingly popular view that immigrants are a problem... It’s a very powerful book, but it also has a wit about it, which makes it very attractive. * Guardian *A plea from the heart for a radical re-evaluation of the West’s treatment of those on the move… Mehta does not pull any punches… [he] knows exactly how to get your attention… and how to have you squirming in your seat. * New Internationalist *An intelligent, well-reasoned case for freedom of movement in an era of walls and fences. * Kirkus Reviews *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA powerful work of narrative nonfiction that humanizes the immigration crisis in the United States through the lens of undocumented, unaccompanied minors and the teacher who provides hope through poetry.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisEurope is facing a wave of migration unmatched since the end of World War II - and no one has reported on this crisis in more depth or breadth than the Guardian's migration correspondent, Patrick Kingsley. Throughout 2015, Kingsley travelled to 17 countries along the migrant trail, meeting hundreds of refugees making epic odysseys across deserts, seas and mountains to reach the holy grail of Europe. This is Kingsley's unparalleled account of who these voyagers are. It's about why they keep coming, and how they do it. It's about the smugglers who help them on their way, and the coastguards who rescue them at the other end. The volunteers that feed them, the hoteliers that house them, and the border guards trying to keep them out. And the politicians looking the other way.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis hands-on guide provides accessible, insightful advice for practitioners who find themselves working with asylum seekers and refugees. Part I covers the essentials of understanding refugees' experiences including what they are coping with now they are in the UK, definitions, entitlements and restrictions, equality, positive action, and practical engagement including improving access to services and overcoming language barriers. Part II prepares professionals for meeting a wide range of needs, including housing, poverty, health and mental health, and training and employment. It also cover issues and opportunities when working with child and young refugees. This pragmatic book accompanies social workers, medical staff, educators, charity workers and housing professionals in their daily work, and illustrates the perspective of refugees themselves. A passionate and compassionate response to the needs of displaced people, it is an excellent starting point for all those working to create a safe and welcoming environment where refugees and asylum seekers are supported.Trade ReviewThis book for busy hands-on staff is a jewel. In an environment with no go-to Government refugee services agency, or training for specialist advisers, a book like this is gold-dust. Clear, informative, straight-talking, well indexed with wonderful touches of respectful humour. Helping staff and their refugee clients overcome barriers and restart interrupted careers and lives. -- Sheila Heard, Managing Director, Transitions London CIC, Employment Services for Refugee Engineers and Business Services professionalsThis book transformed my thinking by releasing refugees and asylum seeker from those static labels into becoming agents of their own lives; by creating a role for any of us to assist each refugee engage with the access points for public services. I liked the conversational style, supported with experience and resources. -- John Murphy, London Churches Refugee Fund & NetworkThe kind of book that can be read from any page, and deserves a centre space of a home library. -- Ayman Uweida, Member of REAP, Professional Interpreter and RefugeeSarah Crowther has dedicated her life so far to making it easy for refugees in West London to get help, to access services, and to integrate into society. This wonderful book makes it easy for readers to understand why refugees come to Britain and the issues they face, and to know what to do to help a refugee in front of them. -- Ezechias Ngendahayo, MInstF (Dip), Projects and Training Coordinator, Development Team, Refugee CouncilThis book will certainly help you to get a clearer, more realistic picture of the present-day challenges refugees face in the UK and worldwide, and it will also increase your understanding of the complexity of the lives of people in exile.Reading this will inform you about all the relevant issues. More importantly, using this book will prepare you to become better at what you do whenever you help refugees and asylum seekers - regardless of your society, community, profession or ethnicity, as it provides a wealth of practical knowledge that you can use to develop a positive, proactive and progressive approach to your work and the work your organisation does -- Oleg Pasichnyi, Ex-Refugee, Member of REAP, Professional Interpreter/Translator, Social Policy ResearcherThis book fully appreciates the struggles that refugees and asylum seekers face, such as: identity, health, language barriers, living conditions and education. It tackles these deep and complex issues with an honest and sensitive approach which is important if we aim to have an inclusive, supportive and productive society. -- Khalida Obeid, Afghan Women's Support Group CoordinatorWith specialist support for refugees dwindling, this book argues we can all expand our roles and expertise to support refugees more effectively. The book offers helpful practical advice, but also successfully navigates complex policy and ethical terrain, providing a valuable snapshot of the state of refugee support in the UK. -- Asif Afridi, Deputy CEO, brap (UK-based equality and human rights charity)Table of ContentsPart I. 1. Introduction; 2. Why it matters; 3. Pragmatic Definitions and Entitlements - just what you need to know; 4. Refugees in all their diversity - equality, discrimination and positive action; 5. Engaging with Refugees; 6. Other Organisations, Networking and Advocating for Refugees; Part II. 7. Roof, Food, Money and Essential Resources; 8. Health, Mental Health and Disability; 9. Learning English, Training, Employability, and Into Work; 10. Refugee Children and Young People - With and Without Families; 11. Refugees are not 'Other People'; Appendices

Read more less

Book SynopsisA SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEAR 'I can't stop talking about this book' Jamie Klingler, co-founder #ReclaimTheseStreets 'What a gem. ... Makes you look at the world, and yourself, afresh.' Minna Salami, author of Sensuous Knowledge: A Black Feminist Approach for Everyone 'A generous combination of passion and practicality that is not easily resisted. A rare book that might actually change our minds' Daniel Hahn OBE 'A book at once vigorous and generous, pleasurable and galvanising' Sophie Hughes, International Booker Prize-shortlisted translator What does it really mean to speak freely? A wise, beautifully written book that explores the way language shapes our lives and how we see the world - and what happens when we learn new words, and new ways of speaking to each other. Language opens up our world, and in the same instant, limits it. What does it mean to exist in a language that was never meant for you to speak? Why are we missing certain words? How can we talk about our communal problems without fuelling them? What does it actually mean to speak freely? As a writer and activist fighting for equality, Kübra Gümüsay has been thinking about these questions for many years. In this book she explores how language shapes our thinking and determines our politics. She shows how people become invisible as individuals when they are always seen as part of a group, and the way those in the minority often have to expend energy cleaning up the messy thinking of others. But she also points to how we might shape conversations to allow for greater ambiguity and individuality, how arguments might happen in a space of learning and vulnerability without sacrificing principles - how we might all be able to speak freely.Trade ReviewI can't stop talking about this book. There is so much here that is so relevant to our fight for equality, and I really appreciated her arguments about language, gender and race. Really made me think -- Jamie Klingler, co-founder #ReclaimTheseStreetsFrom the very first lines of Speaking and Being, Kübra Gümüsay shows herself to be a master storyteller. Her stories are about language - the ways in which it shapes the very essence of our being, and its power to define how we perceive others and how we are perceived. It is a book at once vigorous and generous, pleasurable and galvanising. -- Sophie Hughes, International Booker Prize-shortlisted translatorWhat a gem. This book reminded me that reading a book means spending time with the intimate thoughts of an author, and so we typically enjoy books by authors whose company we imagine enjoying. Kübra Gümüsay makes you look at the world, and yourself, afresh. Read it anytime, but especially read it if you're feeling alone and/or alienated, or if you're at a loss for language to describe the world and its complex sociocultural and psychological existence. Her wisdom inspires you to 'speak and be'. -- Minna Salami, author of 'Sensuous Knowledge: A Black Feminist Approach for Everyone'Speaking and Being is as important a book as its title suggests. With an impressive array of trenchant examples, it reminds us how language shapes our world views and encourages us to question and alter them for the better. Kübra Gümüsay's is a rare voice that combines challenge and compassion in equal measure, and her message is all the more compelling for it. -- Chris Young, Head of the School of Arts and Humanities, University of CambridgeThought-provoking ... well researched, grounded in and citing the conversations and contexts it emerges out of. ... Timely and important -- Annie Rutherford * Goethe Institute Blog *An act of liberation - and a clever essay of literary quality and political strength. * NZZ am Sonntag *Precise, clever and extremely readable ... an important, thought-provoking commentary. Gümüsay's passionate plea for a new, free language and a new, free way of thinking questions the status quo. * Aachener Nachrichten *A polemical plea for a new use of language in public discourse. A polemic, however, that counteracts the battle cries with a personal tone and an inviting gesture to start a dialogue. * Deutschlandfunk *A reckoning with our linguistic habits * Zeit *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Thaim wi a guid Scots tongue in their heid are fit tae gang ower the warld' In The Scottish World, renowned broadcaster Billy Kay takes us on a global journey of discovery, highlighting the extraordinary influence the Scots have had on communities and cultures on almost every continent. While others have questioned the self-confidence of the Scots, Kay has travelled the world from Bangkok to Brazil, Warsaw to Waikiki and found ringing endorsements for the integrity and intellect, the poetry and passion of the Scottish people in every country he has visited. He expands people's view of Scotland by relating remarkable stories of the wealthy Scottish merchant community in Gdansk; of national geniuses of Scots descent, such as Lermontov in Russia and Grieg in Norway; of an American Civil War blamed on Sir Walter Scott and initiated in the St Andrew's Society of Charleston; of inspirational missionaries in Calabar and Budapest; of Scotch professors establishing football in soccer strongholds such as Barcelona and São Paulo; of pioneers like Sandeman and Cockburn, and the Scottish roots of many of the great wines of Europe; and of their amazing involvement in liberation movements in Malawi, Chile, Peru, Greece, Corsica and India. The Scottish World is a celebration of the enormous contribution the Scots have made to the modern world.Trade ReviewFull of revelations about the Scottish diaspora overlooked by most historians * Sunday Herald *Makes clear Scotland's contribution to world history * Sunday Post *A well-researched study of the real influence Scots have had on the modern world * Scots Independent *Intelligent and engaging * The Big Issue *Kay brings a fresh eye to the impressive legacy of the Scottish diaspora. Every page brings another hero * National Trust Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis open access book discusses the socio-political context of the COVID-19 crisis and questions the management of the pandemic emergency with special reference to how this affected the governance of migration and asylum. The book offers critical insights on the impact of the pandemic on migrant workers in different world regions including North America, Europe and Asia. The book addresses several categories of migrants including medical staff, farm labourers, construction workers, care and domestic workers and international students. It looks at border closures for non-citizens, disruption for temporary migrants as well as at special arrangements made for essential (migrant) workers such as doctors or nurses as well as farmworkers, ‘shipped’ to destination with special flights to make sure emergency wards are staffed, and harvests are picked up and the food processing chain continues to function. The book illustrates how the pandemic forces us to rethink notions like membership, citizenship, belonging, but also solidarity, human rights, community, essential services or ‘essential’ workers alongside an intersectional perspective including ethnicity, gender and race.Table of Contents​Part I. Pandemic Borders, Belonging, and Exclusion1 Spaces of Solidarity and Spaces of Exception: Migration and Membership During Pandemic Times Anna Triandafyllidou2 (In)Essential Bordering: Canada, COVID, and Mobility Audrey Macklin3 Territorial and Digital Borders and Migrant Vulnerability Under a Pandemic Crisis Petra Molnar4 Vulnerability and Resilience in the Covid-19 Crisis: Race, Gender, and Belonging Eileen Boris5 Sanctuary Cities and Covid-19: The Case of Canada Mireille Paquet, Noémie Benoit, Idil Atak, Meghan Joy, Graham Hudson, and John ShieldsPart II Pandemics and ‘Essential’ Migrants6 Migrant Care Labour, Covid-19, and the Long-Term Care Crisis: Achieving Solidarity for Care Providers and Recipients Lena Gahwi and Margaret Walton-Roberts7 Pandemic Shock Absorbers: Domestic Workers’ Activism at the Intersection of Immigrants’ and Workers’ Rights Anna Rosińska and Elizabeth Pellerito8 Essential Farmworkers and the Pandemic Crisis: Migrant Labour Conditions, and Legal and Political Responses in Italy and Spain Alessandra Corrado and Letizia Palumbo9 The Entangled Infrastructures of International Student Migration: Lessons from Covid-19 Parvati Raghuram and Gunjan Sondhi10 Voluntary and Forced Return Migration Under a Pandemic Crisis Zeynep Sahin Mencutek11 Return Migration from the Gulf Region to India Amidst COVID-19 S Irudaya Rajan and H. Arokkiaraj12 Internal Migration and the Covid-19 Pandemic in India S Irudaya Rajan and R. B. Bhagat

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen they go low, we learn: an examination of mudslinging in contemporary American politicsand how the left can find its footing to achieve structural reform in this mess. The rules of the public discourse game have changed, and The Public Insult Playbook argues that the political left needs to account for the power of vitriol in crafting their theories for social and political change. With this book, noted constitutional law expert and disability rights advocate Ruth Colker offers insights into how public insults have come to infect contemporary public discoursea technique not invented by but certainly refined by Donald Trumpand, importantly, highlights lessons learned and tools for fighting back. Public insults act as a headwind and dead weight to structural reform. By showcasing the power of insults across a number of civil rights battlegrounds,The Public Insult Playbook uncovers the structural nature of personal attacks, and offers a blueprint for a legal and political stratTrade Review"The Public Insult Playbook is full of material which will be useful to those who are working against oppression." * Process North *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. Insults: A Power Tool for Power Bullies 2. Headwinds, Deflections, and Dead Weights in Action 3. Drive-By Litigators or Accessibility Heroes? 4. Immigrants as Murderers and Rapists 5. Pedophiles or Welcome Entrants to the Institution of Marriage 6. Abortion 7. Anita Hill and the #MeToo Movement 8. Black Lives Matter Notes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisV. S. Naipaul was born in Trinidad in 1932. He came to England on a scholarship in 1950. He spent four years at University College, Oxford, and began to write, in London, in 1954. He pursued no other profession.His novels include A House for Mr Biswas, The Mimic Men, Guerrillas, A Bend in the River, and The Enigma of Arrival. In 1971 he was awarded the Booker Prize for In a Free State. His works of nonfiction, equally acclaimed, include Among the Believers, Beyond Belief, The Masque of Africa, and a trio of books about India: An Area of Darkness, India: A Wounded Civilization and India: A Million Mutinies Now.In 1990, V. S. Naipaul received a knighthood for services to literature; in 1993, he was the first recipient of the David Cohen British Literature Prize. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001. He lived with his wife Nadira and cat Augustus in Wiltshire, and died in 20Trade ReviewHistory as literature, meticulously researched and masterfully written. * New York Times Book Review *A formidable achievement. . . . No historian has attempted to weave together in so subtle a manner the threads of the most complex and turbulent period of Caribbean history. * Times Literary Supplement *Brilliant. . . . Startling. * New Statesman *A remarkable book. . . . Intelligent, humane, brilliantly written. * Book World *

Read more less

Book SynopsisRonald Takaki's beloved revisionist history of America, praised by Howard Zinn as 'a bold and refreshing new approach to our national history,' now featuring a foreword from Clint Smith, author of the award-winning #1 bestseller How the Word Is Passed. Ronald Takaki's 'brilliant revisionist history of America' (Publishers Weekly) is a landmark work of American history retells American history from the bottom up, through the lives of many minorities — Native Americans, African Americans, Jewish Americans, Irish Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans, and others — who helped create this country's mighty economy and rich mosaic culture. A Different Mirror brilliantly illuminates our country's defining strengths as it reveals America as a nation peopled by the world. 

Read more less

Book SynopsisA New York Times best book of 2024On Barack Obama's Summer Reading List 2024 'Urgent, extraordinary . . . a tribute to the astonishing indomitability of the human spirit.' - Patrick Radden Keefe, bestselling author Empire of Pain'Moving, sweeping, and masterful' - Sally Hayden, author of My Fourth Time, We DrownedNew Yorker journalist Jonathan Blitzer has been covering the immigration crisis at America’s southern border for nearly a decade, but the current emergency is the end of a much larger story. In this, his first book, Blitzer goes back to the beginning: to the shadowy civil wars in El Salvador and Guatemala in the 1980s; to the American prison system in the 1990s and the policies of mass deportation that transformed local street criminals into international crime syndicates; to Honduras’s brutal crackdown on crime in the 2000s and the emergence of gangs acro

Read more less

Book Synopsis(B)ordering Britain argues that Britain is the spoils of empire, its immigration law is colonial violence and irregular immigration is anti-colonial resistance. In announcing itself as postcolonial through immigration and nationality laws passed in the 60s, 70s and 80s, Britain cut itself off symbolically and physically from its colonies and the Commonwealth, taking with it what it had plundered. This imperial vanishing act cast Britain’s colonial history into the shadows. The British Empire, about which Britons know little, can be remembered fondly as a moment of past glory, as a gift once given to the world. Meanwhile immigration laws are justified on the basis that they keep the undeserving hordes out. In fact, immigration laws are acts of colonial seizure and violence. They obstruct the vast majority of racialised people from accessing colonial wealth amassed in the course of colonial conquest. Regardless of what the law, media and political discourse dictate, people with personal, ancestral or geographical links to colonialism, or those existing under the weight of its legacy of race and racism, have every right to come to Britain and take back what is theirs.Trade Review'(B)ordering Britain is a hugely significant study that undertakes the urgent task of situating controversial topics such as migration and asylum within the larger history of empire and race. Powerfully written and knowledgeable, it brilliantly illuminates the links between colonialism, dispossession, poverty, racism, immigration and law, challenging familiar assumptions and complacent narratives about British imperial history as it does so. El-Enany demonstrates a fluent command of both law and history, at the intersection of which emerge the much-misunderstood and frequently mythologized figures of the "migrant", the "refugee", and the "asylum-seeker." Essential reading for anyone interested in how imperial history shapes the present.Priyamvada Gopal, author of Insurgent Empire: Anticolonial resistance and British dissent'One of our best hopes for intervening in colonialism as an ongoing project is to identify how that project has shaped and continues to shape our world. This book does just that. Through a careful analysis of British immigration law, Nadine El-Enany shows us not only how legal categories are racial categories but also how legacies of the British empire are “felt viscerally across the world.” This book is powerful and necessary, timely and urgent, clear and cogent. Highly recommended to anyone interested in unlearning colonial legacies.'Sara Ahmed, author of What’s the use and Living a feminist life'Shattering the dominant narrative that the British empire is something of the past, (B)ordering Britain tells the uncomfortable truth: colonialism is a condition that is thriving today. El-Enany offers a powerful legal critique of Britain’s immigration laws, which deny colonised subjects land and resources whilst exploiting the few they let in for the nation’s own economic advantage. Bravely speaking in terms of reparation rather than refuge, El-Enany’s book is as much a blueprint for racial justice across the globe as it is a forensic investigation into its racialised infrastructure.'David Lammy MP'Colonialism never really ends. The formerly colonized remain the targets of imperial power long after their lands have been looted. The concentration of wealth in the hands of white elites demands no less. (B)ordering Britain tells the legal story of an unbroken colonization where citizenship itself is the structure created to maintain the racial lines of colonial and capitalist accumulation. Close the gates, slow the exodus from the colonies to a trickle, and keep those who made it in under conditions of precarity: this is the basis of immigration and asylum law. El-Enany fearlessly tracks the imperial line in law from the first immigration and asylum laws to the Windrush Affair and Brexit. A timely and compelling book.' Sherene H. Razack, Distinguished Professor and the Penny Kanner Endowed Chair, the University of California at Los Angeles'This book's meticulous analysis of the racism that underpins UK immigration regimes is a searing indictment of British government policy, past and present. It is a hugely important contribution to understanding the relation between immigration and race, and a must read for students and scholars of migration.'Bridget Anderson, Director of the Bristol Institute on Migration and Mobility Studies and Professor of Migration, Mobilities and Citizenship'El-Enany’s erudite account of the colonial divisions and violence which contemporary immigration laws enact sets a new bar for future research on Britain’s Immigration and nationality laws.'Patricia Tuitt, Legal Academic, patriciatuitt.com, author of Race, Law and Resistance‘A supreme piece of demystification, which takes aim at one of the most prevalent and insidious errors of thought in modern times.’Morning Star'(B)ordering Britain is a bold and meticulous study of how contemporary Britain is the spoils of the empire. The book makes you sit up and take stock of what we may quite naively regard as the bygone empire, to be indeed the driving force of all the riches and wealth in present-day Britain. This is nothing short of a revolutionary stand, because the author retrieves the silences within law and tacit acceptances of colonial discrimination faced by racialized minorities in the UK, in everyday life – at the physical borders where they face scrutiny, or the heavy hand of an ever changing immigration system that fall disproportionately on racialized migrants.'Ethnic and Racial Studies'(B)ordering Britain is a timely and valuable contribution to an impressive line of work on citizenship and immigration law and their relationship with the meaning of British-ness.'Rieko Karatani, Journal of British Studies'The message of this book is that migration and immigration laws need to be understood in the historical context of British and European colonialism.'Sadie Chana, Patterns of Prejudice, 54(5)'The book's historical account of the role of migration law in defining British identity makes a key contribution to the existing literature. In addition, it also explains more recent trends and perspectives on immigration. The book will be most useful for students of law or those involved in immigration law, though policy-makers and the wider public might also benefit from its insights. Overall, El-Enany's argument has one important implication for Britain's future: although the country's postcolonial multicultural identity is not as ordered or justified as we like to think it is, it still presents a worthwhile and exciting goal.'David Lawrence, International Affairs, Volume 98, Issue 6 -- .Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: Britain as the spoils of empire 1 Bordering and ordering 2 Aliens: immigration law’s racial architecture 3 Subjects and citizens: cordoning off colonial spoils 4 Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers: predictable arrivals5 European citizens and third country nationals: Europe’s colonial embraceConclusion: ‘Go home’ as an invitation to stayNotesAcknowledgementsIndex

Read more less