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We Are All Birds of Uganda
- Author
- Hafsa Zayyan
- Narrator
- Taheen Modak, Sagar Arya
- Publisher
- Random House
- Publish Date
- 21 January 2021
- Run Time
- 11 hours 34 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
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What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
WINNER of the Merky Books New Writers' Prize
___________________
'A remarkably accomplished, polished debut.' MALORIE BLACKMAN
'Rightfully tipped for greatness' SUNDAY TIMES
'This moving tale of love and loss ... is well worth the wait' INDEPENDENT
'[W]hat's distinctive is the modern, multi-ethnic vision of masculinity she presents and the solidarity that emerges from it ... undeniably powerful too.' GUARDIAN
'[A] sprawling and epic dual narrative ... woven together with gentle urgency; sensitive and with a rare perspective on how our mixed race backgrounds can help form feelings of both internal power and conflict.' I-D MAGAZINE
'You can't stop birds from flying, can you, Sameer? They go where they will...'
1960s UGANDA. Hasan struggles to keep his family business afloat following the sudden death of his wife. As he begins to put his shattered life back together piece by piece, a new regime seizes power, and a wave of rising prejudice threatens to sweep away everything he has built.
Present-day LONDON. Sameer, a young high-flying lawyer, senses an emptiness in what he thought was the life of his dreams. Called back to his family home by an unexpected tragedy, Sameer begins to find the missing pieces of himself not in his future plans, but in a heritage he never knew.
___________________
Moving between two continents over a troubled century, We Are All Birds of Uganda is an immensely resonant novel that explores racial tensions, generational divides and what it means to belong.
It is the first work of fiction by Hafsa Zayyan, co-winner of the inaugural #Merky Books New Writers' Prize, and one of the most exciting young novelists of today.
___________________
Stylist's Best Fiction 2021
The Independent's January Book of the Month
Marie Claire's January Book of the Month
Refinery29 Reads: The Books We're Picking Up This January
The British Blacklist: January To Be Read List
As featured in the Daily Mail, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Observer, TLS, Monocle
Chosen as 'Book Club Choice' on Steve Wright's BBC Radio 2 Book Club
___________________
Readers have been entranced by We Are All Birds of Uganda:
'I can't find the words to describe how much I adored every, single, beautiful word of this totally amazing story. If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would.'
'A truly remarkable debut ... I have found a new favourite author'
'This is one of the best books I have read in a long time and the writing is exceptional. A truly remarkable debut novel that I will shout about from the rooftops.'
'An absolute gem'
'Meticulously crafted, beautifully and thoughtfully written ... an absolute pleasure to read.'
'Beautifully written ... extremely accomplished and readable'
© Hafsa Zayyan 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021
Critics Review
-
A remarkably accomplished, polished debut.
Malorie Blackman
-
Rightfully tipped for greatness.
Sunday Times
-
Unflinchingly honest but tempered by its humanity, this is a novel for our times...
iPaper
-
An extremely readable and fascinating dual narrative about the expulsion of East African Ugandans under Idi Amin in the 70s and the journey taken by Sameer, born in modern day Leicester, to understand his familial legacy.
Pandora Sykes
See more reviews See fewer reviews
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[A] sprawling and epic dual narrative, spoke of her lived experience, but that which she'd seldom seen in the books she read: a story of cross-generational divides, and being both Black and South Asian ... It's woven together with gentle urgency; sensitive and with a rare perspective on how our mixed race backgrounds can help form feelings of both internal power and conflict.'
i-D Magazine
-
The issues and subjects it takes on are big ... All are explored with great intelligence and sensitivity ... Zayyan's writing finds the lightness and fluency of a much more experienced novelist ... It is an epic novel in terms of historical, geographic, and cultural scope. It has much to recommend it: the tone, the structure, the ambition, and the clarity that enables the story to cover so much ground without ever becoming confused or lost during its 360-pages.
BBC News
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This moving tale of love and loss ... is well worth the wait.
Independent
-
What's distinctive is the modern, multi-ethnic vision of masculinity she presents and the solidarity that emerges from it ... the romance that evolves between Sameer and Maryam reads like a miracle, something good that might yet be salvaged from trauma. But Zayyan won't allow such easy relief: the anxieties that have simmered throughout the novel finally surface at its end, taking a sinister shape in the shadowy last lines. It's a daringly indeterminate way to end, and undeniably powerful too.
Guardian
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[A] powerful debut exploring migration, identity and racial prejudice.
Mail on Sunday
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It was stunning and took me on a journey that I didn't know I needed to take. A book that will stay with me for a long time.
Marie Claire
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Hafsa Zayyan
- Narrator
- Taheen Modak, Sagar Arya
- Duration
- 11 hours 34 minutes
- Release Date
- 21 January 2021
- ISBN
- 9781529119237
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Random House
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: general and literary, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: Identity / belonging, Narrative theme: Displacement, exile, migration
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin.WINNER of the Merky Books New Writers' Prize___________________'A remarkably accomplished, polished debut.' MALORIE BLACKMAN'Rightfully tipped for greatness' SUNDAY TIMES'This moving tale of love and loss ... is well worth the wait' INDEPENDENT'[W]hat's distinctive is the modern, multi-ethnic vision of masculinity she presents and the solidarity that emerges from it ... undeniably powerful too.' GUARDIAN'[A] sprawling and epic dual narrative ... woven together with gentle urgency; sensitive and with a rare perspective on how our mixed race backgrounds can help form feelings of both internal power and conflict.' I-D MAGAZINE'You can't stop birds from flying, can you, Sameer? They go where they will...'1960s UGANDA. Hasan struggles to keep his family business afloat following the sudden death of his wife. As he begins to put his shattered life back together piece by piece, a new regime seizes power, and a wave of rising prejudice threatens to sweep away everything he has built.Present-day LONDON. Sameer, a young high-flying lawyer, senses an emptiness in what he thought was the life of his dreams. Called back to his family home by an unexpected tragedy, Sameer begins to find the missing pieces of himself not in his future plans, but in a heritage he never knew.___________________Moving between two continents over a troubled century, We Are All Birds of Uganda is an immensely resonant novel that explores racial tensions, generational divides and what it means to belong.It is the first work of fiction by Hafsa Zayyan, co-winner of the inaugural #Merky Books New Writers' Prize, and one of the most exciting young novelists of today.___________________Stylist's Best Fiction 2021The Independent's January Book of the MonthMarie Claire's January Book of the MonthRefinery29 Reads: The Books We're Picking Up This JanuaryThe British Blacklist: January To Be Read ListAs featured in the Daily Mail, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Observer, TLS, MonocleChosen as 'Book Club Choice' on Steve Wright's BBC Radio 2 Book Club___________________Readers have been entranced by We Are All Birds of Uganda:'I can't find the words to describe how much I adored every, single, beautiful word of this totally amazing story. If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would.''A truly remarkable debut ... I have found a new favourite author''This is one of the best books I have read in a long time and the writing is exceptional. A truly remarkable debut novel that I will shout about from the rooftops.''An absolute gem''Meticulously crafted, beautifully and thoughtfully written ... an absolute pleasure to read.''Beautifully written ... extremely accomplished and readable'© Hafsa Zayyan 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021
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