This Is Where I Am

by Karen Campbell

  I see my daughter’s face.

  And I see my wife’s face.

  Wân ku jecelahay.

  And I see my wife’s face. Echoed in my son’s.

  Acknowledgements

  Many people and sources helped to shape this book. I’d like to thank: my niece Dr Deborah Wilson and her colleague Dr Mary Cawley for advice on clinical psychology and mental health-procedures in Glasgow; my friends Dr Michael Rennick for a GP’s insight, and Dr Maureen Myant for advice on educational psychology; all the many blogs, internet footage and reports I was able to source on Dadaab; the lovely Omar Kettlewell for advice on Muslim greetings; Mohamed Ibrahim for all his help with Somali words; everyone at the Scottish Refugee Council; my husband Dougie for being my rock and my inspiration; my girls Eidann and Ciorstan for their reading and encouragement; my excellent agent Jo Unwin, Carrie Plitt and all at Conville & Walsh; Bernadette Baxter; Lisa Moylett for all her support; Sarah-Jane Forder for the careful copyedit; my editor Helen Garnons-Williams, Erica Jarnes and all at Bloomsbury for being so welcoming and enthusiastic; Rose Gray, who so kindly bid to name a character at the Lord Provost’s charity auction; and, finally, huge thanks to Abdul and Farida Nasri. This is not their story, but without them, it would not have been written.

  A Note on the Author

  Karen Campbell is a graduate of Glasgow University’s renowned Creative Writing Masters, and author of The Twilight Time, After the Fire, Shadowplay and Proof of Life. A former police officer, and council PR, Karen Campbell won the Best New Scottish Writer Award in 2009. She lives in Galloway.

  www.karencampbell.co.uk

  By the Same Author

  The Twilight Time

  After the Fire

  Shadowplay

  Proof of Life

  First published in Great Britain 2013

  This electronic edition published in 2013 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

  Copyright © 2013 by Karen Campbell

  The moral right of the author has been asserted

  All rights reserved.

  You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

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  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

  eISBN: 978-1-4088-3272-1

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