Nur and Abid relearn to love after they escape from war. Marie, who keeps the women of the village from giving birth to children borne of war, finds herself in a situation she hasn’t faced before. In a London park, an ageing MI-6 official discovers that the woman he meets every day may not be what she seems. Lyndsey’s bouquets of twenty-seven tulips hold the secret of her dark past and a soldier adorns herself in jewels as she prepares for a final mission.

Spanning both decades and continents, Refuge turns its lens on those who are often overlooked in stories about war: women and children, civilians forced out of their homes in terror, those who wait for their brave soldiers to come home, and soldiers who commit unspeakable violence. this powerful collection simultaneously delves into the darkest parts of the human psyche whilst being an ode to humanity’s ability to endure, love and retain dignity and compassion.

Sunny Singh will be here at bookhaus to discuss her book in conversation with Sabrin Hasbun (Crossing). Tickets cost £7 and include a glass of wine or a soft drink and £2 off the book. Presented by bookhaus.

Sunny Singh is a writer, novelist, public intellectual, and a champion for decolonisation and inclusion across all aspects of society. She is the author of three critically acclaimed novels, Hotel Arcadia, With Krishna’s Eyes, and Nani’s Book of Suicides, as well as the recent, A Bollywood State of Mind: A Journey into the World’s Biggest Cinema. Photo credit Peter Hogan.

In 2017 she launched the celebrated Jhalak Prize for literature by writers of colour. She is also a founder of the Jhalak Foundation that focuses on a range of literary, artistic and literacy initiatives in the UK and beyond. Sunny lives in London where she is Professor of Creative Writing and Inclusion in the Arts at the London Metropolitan University.
‘These stories reveal the many sides of war, drawing attention to its unrelenting toll, while also illuminating a quiet dignity that persists in moments of compassion and resilience. An essential collection that reminds us of an enduring hope in our humanity.’ – Guy Gunaratne, author of IN OUR MAD AND FURIOUS CITY and MISTER, MISTER

‘Superb. An incandescent, charged and propulsive work. I inhaled this collection. It’s a testament to Sunny Singh’s considerable talents as a writer’ – Irenosen Okojie, author of NUDI BRANCH

‘In terrible times, our storytellers need to be tender and steely; Singh is this kind of writer, a necessary interlocutor between evil and possibility. We must read stories just like this in these times: small, beautiful, tough ways to remember love despite the wickedness. Sunny Singh shows us awful and beautiful realities with an uncompromisingly steely eye: there are terrible things here, necessary truths and unremitting heart.’ – Leone Ross, author of THIS ONE SKY DAY

‘In every story here Sunny Singh crafts a distinctive woman’s voice, an unforgettable atmosphere, revealing wars’ myriad rhythms, unpredictable turns. Reading these remarkable stories reminds me to stay ready to be surprised when trying to grasp how any girl, any woman, anywhere makes sense of her own war.’ – Cynthia Enloe, author of TWELVE FEMINIST LESSONS OF WAR

‘Refuge is a beautiful, urgent collection: here are cross generational voices mapped across diverse territories steeped in resilience, quiet suffering, longing and love. Essential to our understanding of the courage and hearts of victims and survivors in the most brutal of circumstances, Singh’s prose pulses with grace. A must read for our time.” – Elaine Canning, author and Director of the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize

Entry requirements: no age restrictions — Read more — Read less