Dr Azim P H Somani’s Special Edition Shattered Lives: Sitting on Fire

To commemorate the 40th year of expulsion of Ugandan Asians, critically acclaimed author Dr Azim P H Somani featured in several national television broadcasts in the United Kingdom and released a special edition of Shattered Lives: Sitting on Fire.

On the 40th Anniversary of the arrival of the Ugandan Asians to Britain, this book commemorates a momentous slice of history. The trials and tribulations of a lost and shattered community who emerged from a warzone and were thrust into an alien land… Now 40 years on, they are the very community which are considered to have changed the face of Britain.

Critical Acclamations about Dr Azim P H Somani and Shattered Lives: Sitting on Fire:

“It’s heartening to look back at the remarkable resilience, bravery and hard work shown by people who were forced to leave behind everything they knew and a country they loved, to start all over again and make successes of their lives in a strange, cold and sometimes unwelcoming land. Theirs is an impressive and life-affirming story”
Fiona Foster, Presenter, ITV Tonight Show

“To merely think about what Ugandan Asians have been through, how they left everything they worked so hard for and simply started their lives again, in a foreign land, just highlights what truly amazing people they are. They have become incredibly successful people once again and that is something one can only admire”
Catherine Peel, News Editor, ITV

“The fabric of a nation was torn apart by the hands of Idi Amin. Communities were uprooted and families divided. The story of how the Somani family came to be where they are today is one that demonstrates humanity at its worst and at its best. It’s a story made even more compelling by the fact that tens of thousands of people each bear their own accounts of these events in their memory. Azim Somani’s chronicle of the expulsion of Asians from Uganda makes it possible to truly understand the magnitude of the compulsory exodus. It was an honour to share that gift of understanding”
Adam McClean, Reporter, Granada Reports

“The exiled Ugandan Asians were confronted by the very worst of 1970s Britain… But each anti-immigration march was countered by communities that did their best to provide human support and kindness. And it was this reaction that helped the migrants settle on foreign soil and, over the years, pay back the country that gave them a new home”
Bob Jefford, Producer Director, ITV

“For anyone who wonders if it’s worth remembering and reflecting on the past, this story is it. I was just six when Idi Amin expelled Ugandan Asians. I had no memory or knowledge of this happening. Now I am in the privileged position of having made friends more than contacts, have learned about the richness of the culture and beliefs of the people who lived through it, and of appreciating the journeys of those I’ve interviewed. I believe our country has been enriched by welcoming the Ugandan Asians – though their lives here were not always easy. What was Uganda’s loss was our gain. To coin a phrase, we are better together”
Fiona Scott, Journalist, Mums in Media

http://www.britishpublishingcorporation.co.uk/

Earlier related: Shattered Lives: 2nd Edition by Azim P H Somani
Life with Giant Cell Arteritis, by Dr Azim P H Somani