In search of safety

leema qhah on her novel set in 1970s Uganda, Kololo Hill

What can you tell us about the real events that inspired your novel?

In 1972, 80,000 Ugandan Asians were expelled from the country by Idi Amin and given 90 days to leave forever. Initially, most people thought the announcement was a joke. Ugandans were used to Amin changing laws on a whim. But it soon became apparent that the dictator and his army were deadly serious.

How did people react to the upheaval? There was understandable anger and bewilderment, but in a country under military rule, fighting back was a dangerous option. Uganda was the only home many of these Asians had ever known. Now they were forced to leave homes and businesses behind, say goodbye to lifelong friends and see their families scattered across the world.

Lots of families came to the UK. What kind of reception did they receive? Many who arrived in the UK as refugees had British passports through the country’s colonial links, yet they had never visited before. Arriving in the midst of winter, the majority of the refugees were sheltered in former army barracks until they were able to secure housing and jobs. Though they faced racism and hostility from some, they were also greeted with kindness; some were taken in by ordinary British families who’d volunteered to help.

How is the story inspired by your own family history?

My grandmother told me about how she’d left India with a young baby during the Second World War, so that she could be reunited with my grandfather who’d gone ahead to Kenya. Together they established a home and a business. Decades later, my parents arrived in the UK clutching their own British passports, and once again, built new lives. All these stories have inspired my own.

Kololo Hill

By Neema Shah (Picador, 352 pages, £14.99)