Immigration & Belonging

Exit West

Mohsin Hamid · 2017

Hamid’s spare, luminous novel follows two young lovers fleeing a war-torn city through mysterious doors that open onto other countries. Both intimate and universal, it captures the grief, hope and strangeness of migration with rare tenderness. A beautiful, humane read that turns the refugee experience into something we can all recognise.

Behold the Dreamers

Imbolo Mbue · 2016

Mbue’s vivid debut follows a Cameroonian couple chasing the American dream in New York on the eve of the financial crash. Warm, funny and clear-eyed, it captures both the promise and the brutal cost of starting over in a new land. A rich, absorbing read about hope, hard work and what belonging really asks of us.

The Buddha in the Attic

Julie Otsuka · 2011

Otsuka tells the story of Japanese ‘picture brides’ who sailed to America in the early twentieth century, in a haunting collective voice that speaks for a whole silenced generation. Spare and unforgettable, it gives dignity to lives history overlooked. A short, extraordinary read about arrival, hardship and the loneliness of the outsider.

White Teeth

Zadie Smith · 2000

Smith’s dazzling debut weaves together immigrant families across generations in multicultural London, with enormous warmth, wit and life. Sprawling and joyful, it captures the messy, hopeful reality of belonging to more than one world. A brilliant, big-hearted read about roots, identity and the tangled, marvellous business of modern belonging.

A Fine Balance

Rohinton Mistry · 1995

Mistry’s epic, tender novel gathers four strangers into an unlikely household in 1970s India, and finds deep humanity amid hardship and upheaval. Devastating and beautiful, it is about displacement, dignity and the fragile communities we build to survive. A profound, immersive read for anyone drawn to stories of endurance and belonging.

The Ungrateful Refugee

Dina Nayeri · 2019

Nayeri, who fled Iran as a child, weaves her own story together with those of other refugees into a searching, unforgettable meditation on displacement and welcome. Fierce, compassionate and beautifully written, it asks hard questions about what we owe the stranger. Essential reading for anyone who wants to truly understand the refugee experience.