Overview

WINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZEWINNER OF IRISH BOOK OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE‘The most important work of contemporary reporting I have ever read’ SALLY ROONEY The Western world has turned its back on refugees, fuelling one of the most devastating human rights disasters in history. In August 2018, Sally Hayden received a Facebook message. ‘Hi sister Sally, we need your help,’ it read. ‘We are under bad condition in Libya prison. If you have time, I will tell you all the story.’ More messages followed from more refugees. They told stories of enslavement and trafficking, torture and murder, tuberculosis and sexual abuse. And they revealed something else: that they were all incarcerated as a direct result of European policy. From there began a staggering investigation into the migrant crisis across North Africa. This book follows the shocking experiences of refugees seeking sanctuary, but it also surveys the bigger picture: the negligence of NGOs and corruption within the United Nations. The economics of the twenty-first-century slave trade and the EU’s bankrolling of Libyan militias. The trials of people smugglers, the frustrations of aid workers, the loopholes refugees seek out and the role of social media in crowdfunding ransoms. Who was accountable for the abuse? Where were the people finding solutions? Why wasn’t it being widely reported? At its heart, this is a book about people who have made unimaginable choices, risking everything to survive in a system that wants them to be silent and disappear.

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9780008445584

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Reviews

'Journalism of the most urgent kind' Financial Times '[A] devastating, moving and damning account of one of the tragedies of our age ... Hayden never flinches in documenting human nature at its worst - its best is shown here, too' Irish Independent 'The most important work of contemporary reporting I have ever read ... I hope that Sally Hayden's work can help to begin a radically new and overdue discussion about Europe's approach to migration and borders' Sally Rooney 'Compassionate, brave, enraging, beautifully written and incredibly well researched. Hayden exposes the truth about years of grotesque abuse committed against some of the world's most vulnerable people in all of our names' Oliver Bullough, author of Moneyland 'One of the most important testaments of this awful time in life's history. It is both heartbreaking and stoic. I cry reading any page of it. Sally Hayden is a young and brilliant journalist' Edna O'Brien, author of The Little Red Chairs 'Quite simply, an unexpected tour de force ... deserves critical acclaim and a wide readership ... I found this book unputtdownable' Jon Lee Anderson, staff writer at The New Yorker 'This vivid chronicle ... may make you cry, but it should make you angry ... A blistering rebuke' Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor of Channel 4 News 'A veritable masterclass in journalism ... The most riveting, detailed and damning account ever written on the deadliest of migration routes' Christina Lamb, Chief Foreign Correspondent of the Sunday Times 'Read this great book shedding light on a monstrous crime' John Sweeney, author of North Korea Undercover 'Harrowing ... A remarkable and important book' Michela Wrong, author of Do Not Disturb 'Heart-stopping ... A vital book for anyone who wants to feel what it means to be human in the 21st century' Fintan O'Toole, author of We Don't Know Ourselves

'The most important work of contemporary reporting I have ever read. Every citizen of the European Union has not only a right, but also a responsibility, to learn about the realities described in this book. I hope that Sally Hayden's work can help to begin a radically new and overdue discussion about Europe's approach to migration and borders' Sally Rooney, author of Beautiful World, Where Are You? 'Compassionate, brave, enraging, beautifully written and incredibly well researched. Hayden exposes the truth about years of grotesque abuse committed against some of the world's most vulnerable people in all of our names. After this, none of us can say we didn't know' Oliver Bullough, author of Moneyland 'This vivid chronicle of the lives and dreams of those who risk all to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe, may make you cry, but it should make you angry. It is not just a blistering rebuke to those who torture, rape and imprison, but to the rest of us, who turn a blind eye' Lindsey Hilsum, author of In Extremis 'A veritable masterclass in journalism ... The most riveting, detailed and damning account ever written on the deadliest of migration routes' Christina Lamb, author of Our Bodies, Their Battlefield 'Read this great book shedding light on a monstrous crime' John Sweeney, author of North Korea Undercover 'Harrowing ... A remarkable and important book' Michela Wrong, author of Do Not Disturb 'Heart-stopping ... A vital book for anyone who wants to feel what it means to be human in the 21st century' Fintan O'Toole, author of We Don't Know Ourselves 'A brilliant book, powerful and emotional ... A must read for anyone with a conscience' Miriam O'Callaghan, host of Prime Time 'Gripping, shocking and heartbreaking ... impossible to put down. It should make the plight of its protagonists impossible to ignore' Ben Rawlence, author of The Treeline

'[Sally's] writing exposes the desperation of so many and the ruthlessness and greed of the smugglers. This is a story we should all follow closely' Jim Clancy, former CNN correspondent and anchor

EARLY PRAISE 'This is a brilliant book, powerful and emotional - Sally Hayden is a superb journalist and through her incredible courage and eye witness testimonies, paints a compelling picture of the poignant and horrific lives endured by so many refugees and migrants. A must read for anyone with a conscience' Miriam O'Callaghan, RTE Radio 1 Host '[Sally's] writing exposes the desperation of so many and the ruthlessness and greed of the smugglers. This is a story we should all follow closely' Jim Clancy, former CNN correspondent and anchor

EARLY PRAISE 'Compassionate, brave, enraging, beautifully written and incredibly well researched. Hayden exposes the truth about years of grotesque abuse committed against some of the world's most vulnerable people in all of our names. After this, none of us can say we didn't know' Oliver Bullough, author of Moneyland 'This vivid chronicle of the lives and dreams of those who risk all the cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe, may make you cry, but it should make you angry. It is not just a blistering rebuke to those who torture, rape and imprison, but to the rest of us, who turn a blind eye' Lindsey Hilsum, author of In Extremis 'Read this great book shedding light on a monstrous crime' John Sweeney, author of North Korea Undercover 'This is a brilliant book, powerful and emotional - Sally Hayden is a superb journalist and through her incredible courage and eye witness testimonies, paints a compelling picture of the poignant and horrific lives endured by so many refugees and migrants. A must read for anyone with a conscience' Miriam O'Callaghan, host of Prime Time (Ireland) '[A] remarkable story of the ongoing migrant crisis in Europe ... A years-long effort to document the courage, humour, kindness, and resilience of ordinary people trapped by circumstance, and the tragic moral failure of the west to help them. The refugee who sent her the first Facebook message in 2018 had no way to know it, but he had reached exactly the right person. Read her book' Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down 'A harrowing look at the refugee crisis in Africa ... Intrepidly reported and vividly written, this sobering account shines a spotlight on an underreported tragedy' Publishers Weekly '[Sally's] writing exposes the desperation of so many and the ruthlessness and greed of the smugglers. This is a story we should all follow closely' Jim Clancy, former CNN correspondent and anchor

'Journalism of the most urgent kind' Financial Times '[A] devastating, moving and damning account of one of the tragedies of our age ... Hayden never flinches in documenting human nature at its worst - its best is shown here, too' Irish Independent 'The most important work of contemporary reporting I have ever read ... I hope that Sally Hayden's work can help to begin a radically new and overdue discussion about Europe's approach to migration and borders' Sally Rooney 'What a devastating book about the catastrophic inhumanity of European migration policy. It's a journalistic masterpiece. Shattering stories. It absolutely demands to be read ... Essential' Max Porter, author of Grief is the Thing with Feathers 'Extremely good' Mark O'Connell, author of Notes from an Apocalypse 'Compassionate, brave, enraging, beautifully written and incredibly well researched. Hayden exposes the truth' Oliver Bullough, author of Moneyland 'One of the most important testaments of this awful time in life's history. It is both heartbreaking and stoic. I cry reading any page of it. Sally Hayden is a young and brilliant journalist' Edna O'Brien, author of The Little Red Chairs 'Quite simply, an unexpected tour de force ... deserves critical acclaim and a wide readership ... I found this book unputtdownable' Jon Lee Anderson, staff writer at The New Yorker 'This vivid chronicle ... may make you cry, but it should make you angry ... A blistering rebuke' Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor of Channel 4 News 'A veritable masterclass in journalism ... The most riveting, detailed and damning account ever written on the deadliest of migration routes' Christina Lamb, Chief Foreign Correspondent of the Sunday Times 'Heart-stopping ... A vital book for anyone who wants to feel what it means to be human in the 21st century' Fintan O'Toole, author of We Don't Know Ourselves

Author Information

Sally Hayden is an award-winning journalist and photographer currently focused on migration, conflict and humanitarian crises. She has worked with VICE, VICE News, CNN International, the Financial Times, TIME, BBC, the Washington Post, the Irish Times, the Guardian, the New York Times, Magnum Photos, Channel 4 News, Foreign Policy, Al Jazeera, NBC News, the Sunday Times, Newsweek, RTE, ELLE, Marie Claire, ZEIT Online, the Independent, the Telegraph, Deutsche Welle, the New Statesman, the New Internationalist, the National, the Huffington Post and ITV News. HEFAT certified, Sally has reported from countries including Nigeria, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, France, Germany, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Ireland, Lebanon, Jordan, DR Congo, Panama, Cambodia, the Gambia, Liberia, Hungary, Luxembourg, Rwanda, Malawi, Ethiopia, Madagascar, the US, Italy, Kenya and Uganda. Her writing has been translated into nine languages and she has appeared as a guest on national and international media.

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