The Tale of Ahmed

Tale of Ahmed is a gripping fictional account of a teenage boy's journey from Afghanistan to England, highlighting the dangers and challenges faced by refugees. The author, Henry Cockburn, lives near the end of the refugees' journey and aims to correct misperceptions about their heroic odyssey. The story is written in the form of an epic poem and illustrated by the author, describing Ahmed's experiences with fellow travelers, exploitation, and persecution.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 04 April 2024
Publisher: OR Books

Tale of Ahmed is a gripping fictional account of the dangerous journey of a teenage boy, Ahmed, who travels from Afghanistan, across the Middle East and Europe, to seek refuge in England. Author Henry Cockburn lives at one end of a long trail stretching from Afghanistan to the southeast coast of England. His home in Kent is close to where small, frail boats arrive bringing refugees on the last lap of their 6,000-mile journey from Kabul and the Hindu Kush. Meeting and talking with refugees, Henry became aware that even they themselves rarely understand the heroic nature of their odyssey. The journeys' never-ending risks have become second nature to them. For most other people, they are simply unknown. Correcting such misperceptions is one of the objectives of this powerful story. Written in the form of an epic poem and richly illustrated by the author, Tale of Ahmed describes how its eponymous hero gets help from fellow travelers and finds unexpected friends along the way. But Ahmed is also exploited for money by crooks and cheats, as well as targeted as a pariah. This unusual and unputdownable fable recounts with great sensitivity the Afghans' sufferings and their courage and resilience in making a grueling passage.

Dimension: 228 x 177 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781682194270