Author and immigration lawyer Tawseef Khan will be at The Grove Bookshop to discuss his new novel, Determination, on Thursday 27 June from 7pm.
Jamila Shah is twenty-nine and exhausted.
An immigration solicitor tasked with running the precious family law firm, Jamila is prone to being woken in the middle of the night by frantic phone calls from clients on the cusp of deportation. Working under the shadow of the government’s ‘hostile environment’, she constantly prays and hopes that their ‘determinations’ will result in her clients being allowed to stay.
With no time for friends, family or even herself (never mind a needy partner), Jamila’s life feels hectic and out of control. Then a breakdown of sorts forces her to seek change – to pursue her own happiness while navigating the endless expectations that the world seems to have of her, and still committing herself to a career devoted to helping others.
In this polyphonic, assured and character-driven debut, we meet the staff of Shah & Co Solicitors, who themselves arrived in the UK not too long ago, and their clients, more recent arrivals who are made to jump through hoops to create a life for themselves whilst trying to achieve some semblance of normality.
Tawseef Khan is a qualified immigration solicitor and holds a doctoral degree from the University of Liverpool, where he examined the fairness of the British asylum system. He is also a graduate of the creative writing programme at the University of East Anglia, where he received the Seth Donaldson Memorial Bursary. His fiction has appeared in Lighthouse and Test Signal: a Northern anthology; his non-fiction in the New York Times, The Face and Hyphen. His debut non-fiction book Muslim, Actually was published by Atlantic in 2021. He lives in Manchester.
Tickets are £7 and refreshments will be served. Contact The Grove Bookshop for tickets, 01943 609335.
Scarborough’s Alpamare waterpark set to be sold with 99-year car park lease
Martin House opens new memorial garden for bereaved families
Historic roof repairs get underway at Ilkley Manor House
Opening date announced for new Ilkley record shop
£2.95million country home near Ilkley goes on sale for first time in 30 years
Ilkley man to take on Yorkshire Three Peaks for brain injury charity
Judy Murray surprises young tennis players during Ilkley visit
New community podcast launched by Right at Home
Ilkley exhibition celebrates female body for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Ilkley business owner takes on 90-day challenge wearing same wool dress
Ilkley employer backs ‘shop local’ Christmas campaign
Ilkley residents asked for views on plans to rebuild town centre toilets
Cancer patient raises £11,000 to support others at Airedale Hospital
Run Bolton Abbey returns in support of Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice
Ilkley Pride seeks volunteer to help behind the scenes
International cyclists take on ‘Hell of the North’ challenge in Ilkley
Voting opens for Ilkley’s Everything Yorkshire Art Competition
Ilkley Green Room nominated for UK’s Favourite Local Business
Leeds Bradford Airport to shut down for workers strike
Ajé Cafe + Studio celebrate successful opening weekend
