Determination
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 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 – all trying to achieve some semblance of normality.
About the Author
Tawseef Khan is a qualified immmigration solicitor who holds a doctoral degree from the University of Liverpool, where he examines the fairness of the British asylum system. His debut non-fiction book, Muslim, Actually was published by Atlantic in 2021, and his debut novel, Determinations, was published by Footnote Press in 2024. He is based in Manchester.
