SCATTERED: Aamna Mohdin’s Memoir of Displacement and Belonging

Join us for an insightful talk with Aamna Mohdin, whose powerful investigation delves into the profound costs and lasting consequences of displacement. Drawing on her unique personal experience as the daughter of Somali refugees, Aamna offers a deeply moving exploration of the refugee experience and its enduring aftershocks.

In 2015, Aamna travelled to Calais to report from the frontlines of the refugee crisis. Upon returning to London, a conversation with her parents revealed a hidden chapter of her own life - one marked by early childhood spent in a refugee camp and years of displacement before settling in the UK.

For the first time, Aamna’s parents shared their story: of life in a newly independent Somalia, the devastating impact of civil war, and the harrowing journey through refugee camps in Kenya. Aamna retraced their steps, from Somalia to the Kakuma refugee camp, uncovering a refugee crisis that has lasted over three decades.

Scattered is a remarkable investigation and heartfelt narrative of displacement, family, and belonging. This event offers a powerful opportunity to hear directly from Aamna about her extraordinary journey and the stories that have shaped her life.

The evening will feature readings from the book as well as a discussion with the author about the lived experiences that shaped her writing. There will also be an opportunity for the audience to ask questions and engage in conversation about themes of migration, identity, and hope.

Aamna Mohdin is a British-Somali jounarlist, the Guardian’s first Community Affairs Correspondent, reporting on the social, political, and economic experiences of the UK’s diverse communities, with a particular focus on Black, Asian, and minority ethnic groups.

Aamna spent her early years in the Kakuma refugee camp, Saudi Arabia, Germany, and the Netherlands before arriving in the UK aged seven. She is the winner of the British Journalism Award 2022, and her work has been shortlisted for the British Press Awards.

Previously, Aamna was a reporter at Quartz, where she led the publication’s coverage of the European refugee crisis. She currently lives in London.