I see my daughter’s face.
And I see my wife’s face.
Wân ku jecelahay.
And I see my wife’s face. Echoed in my son’s.
Acknowledgements
Many people and sources helped to shape this book. I’d like to thank: my niece Dr Deborah Wilson and her colleague Dr Mary Cawley for advice on clinical psychology and mental health-procedures in Glasgow; my friends Dr Michael Rennick for a GP’s insight, and Dr Maureen Myant for advice on educational psychology; all the many blogs, internet footage and reports I was able to source on Dadaab; the lovely Omar Kettlewell for advice on Muslim greetings; Mohamed Ibrahim for all his help with Somali words; everyone at the Scottish Refugee Council; my husband Dougie for being my rock and my inspiration; my girls Eidann and Ciorstan for their reading and encouragement; my excellent agent Jo Unwin, Carrie Plitt and all at Conville & Walsh; Bernadette Baxter; Lisa Moylett for all her support; Sarah-Jane Forder for the careful copyedit; my editor Helen Garnons-Williams, Erica Jarnes and all at Bloomsbury for being so welcoming and enthusiastic; Rose Gray, who so kindly bid to name a character at the Lord Provost’s charity auction; and, finally, huge thanks to Abdul and Farida Nasri. This is not their story, but without them, it would not have been written.
A Note on the Author
Karen Campbell is a graduate of Glasgow University’s renowned Creative Writing Masters, and author of The Twilight Time, After the Fire, Shadowplay and Proof of Life. A former police officer, and council PR, Karen Campbell won the Best New Scottish Writer Award in 2009. She lives in Galloway.
www.karencampbell.co.uk
By the Same Author
The Twilight Time
After the Fire
Shadowplay
Proof of Life
First published in Great Britain 2013
This electronic edition published in 2013 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Copyright © 2013 by Karen Campbell
The moral right of the author has been asserted
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