A collection of short stories set in France

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A fascination for the liminal…

As an immigrant myself I am drawn to immigrants and their stories. On first moving to a tiny apartment in Paris (the reasons for this are a book in themselves - see ‘Where the stories began’ page), I discovered a world that tourists never dream of, despite its central Paris location. Our quarter was considered the place where Parisians ‘in the know’ came to spend an evening, not exactly slumming, let’s say exploring the ethnic richness of the cafes and restaurants. Several French TV and radio programs were eventually devoted to the quarter and its characters, and a 2008 doctoral thesis by Anne Clerval describes the gentrification of quarters like it, with photos. Read the article.

One evening, in the café on the ground floor of my building, I met a young Tunisian who was trapped, unable to apply for a full French residency (a major problem was that he couldn’t produce service bills proving his presence here for a decade). I recalled the story of a young Irishman who, during the 1980s slump, was talked into going to the US by fellow Irishmen who, once there, removed his passport and obliged him to work illegally. He eventually committed suicide because he was ashamed to tell anyone or get help. A friend managed to get home and spill the beans.

I have a fascination for those who occupy this liminal zone, like people in HallowE’en stories who become trapped between two worlds. There are more and more people like this. Every story is different, many are heart-rending.

I am also conscious that those leaving their own country remain optimistically unaware of the increasingly complicated reality that awaits them in the new country.