...If I Grow Up...

Books have always been part of Nicki's life. Her father ran a bookshop in Cambridge, and after school she and her big sister used to go and sit on the floor of the Children's Department and read until their father finished work. Among the books that Nicki remembers are The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr Seuss, from which she learned about inequality between rich and poor people; and Lucy Fitch Perkin's books about twins from different parts of the world which made Nicki curious about cultural differences. Nicki worked with children who led troubled lives, and later interpreted for asylum-seekers. Eventually she began writing stories about asylum-seekers and refugees. Her first published book, 'Christophe's Story', is a best-selling novel for 8-12 years old in which 8 year old Christophe tells his class in his new school why he had to run away from Rwanda. Nicki chooses critical topical issues. In her stories, asylum-seekers and refugees are brought to life as humans faced with devastating losses and struggling to survive. Nicki writes from a young person's perspective, and thus her stories are accessible from a young age, yet of interest to people of all ages. Go to nickicornwell.com to find out more!

In '...If I Grow up...' the bad men emerge from the forests. So Tez, Adi, their three younger siblings and their mother flee from the Congo and become asylum seekers in the UK. They think they'll be safe. But that's not how it is!