Acknowledgements

To my parents Zainab and Ayub, for all their struggles, and passing me their narrations of Burma and Pakistan. I’ll keep them well. Sophia and Soraya for childhood indulgences. My niece Sharifa, I hope you grow to value the word.

Thanks to Saeid for the lowdown, Ursula for being my earliest reader and not crushing, Leon for not judging dead nights, Nicos for finding impossible insanities.

Nathan and Dead Ink Books for making those ridiculous leaps.