Films and books on refugees and asylum seekers

Books

	The Girl from Aleppo – Nujeen’s Escape from War to Freedom Nujeen Mustafa with Christina Lamb True story of Nujeen Mustafa, a teenager born with cerebral palsy, as she journeys from war-ravaged Syria to Germany in a wheelchair
	The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini Afghan refugee Amir looks back at his childhood friendship with Hassan and their kite fighting games in Kabul
	Sea Prayer Khaled Hosseini Illustrated novel written as a letter from father to son; the two have fled their home in Syria and face the dangerous Mediterranean crossing
	Wandering Souls Cecile Pin The story follows a Vietnamese family as they make the journey from war-torn Vietnam to the UK
	Defiant Dreams – The Journey of an Afghan Girl Who Risked Everything for Education Sola Mahfouz and Malaina Kapoor The memoir of a young woman from Afghanistan who taught herself in secret when forced out of school by the Taliban
	The Ungrateful Refugee Dina Nayeri A memoir that looks into the author's personal experiences as a refugee, exploring the complexities of identity, belonging, and the refugee narrative
	Exit West Moshin Hamid A story about a young couple, who live in an unnamed city undergoing civil war and finally have to flee, using a system of magical doors that lead to different locations around the globe.
	The Girl Who Smiled Beads – A Story About War and What Comes After Clemantine Wamaruya and Elizabeth Weil The memoir follows Wamariya's experience as a childhood refugee from Rwanda
	Prophet Song Paul Lynch The novel depicts the struggles of the Stack family, in particular Eilish Stack, a mother of four who is trying to save her family as the Republic of Ireland slips into totalitarianism.
	The Beekeeper of Aleppo Christy Lefteri This story deals with the plight of Nuri and Afra from the war torn city of Aleppo in Syria to Europe.
	Songbirds Christy Lefteri A novel based on the real-life disappearance of domestic workers, the story follows Nisha, a migrant worker from Sri Lanka who works as a servant for Petra, combining domestic duties with looking after her daughter Aliki.
	Black Butterflies Priscilla Morris The story of a family fractured by events, in the spring of 1992 in the city of Sarajevo. Artist and teacher Zora sends her mother and husband to England for safety, believing she can continue her work.
	The Cellist of Sarajevo Steven Galloway The story of three people trying to survive in a city filled with fear, and of the sorrowing cellist who plays undaunted in their midst.

Books for Children

Young Children

The Journey

Francesca Sanna

What is it like to have to leave everything behind and travel many miles to somewhere unfamiliar and strange? A mother and her two children set out on such a journey; one filled with fear of the unknown, but also great hope.

Lubna and Pebble

Wendy Meddour

In an unforgettable story that subtly addresses the refugee crisis, a young girl must decide if friendship means giving up the one item that brings her comfort during a time of utter uncertainty.

Wisp – A Story of Hope

Zana Fraillon

The story centres around Idris, a young boy living in a refugee camp – surrounded by cold strangers and barbed wire fences. The bleak and lonely world in which Idris lives is conveyed so powerfully but in a very relatable, child-friendly manner.

Older Children

	You Don’t Know What War Is Yeva Scaliest This is the diary of 12-year-old Yeva Skalietska following her experience of life in Ukraine after the Russians invaded. An eye opening and heartbreaking tale of what it is like to be a modern refugee.
	Refugee Boy Benjamin Zephaniah Refugee Boy is a coming-of-age novel that outlines the experiences of Alem Kelo, a teenage boy escaping the Eritrean-Ethiopian War.
	Who are Refugees and Migrants? Michael Rosen and Annemarie Young This book explores the history of refugees and migration around the world and the effects on people of never-ending war and conflict.
	Xanthe & the Ruby Crown Jasbinder Bilan Xanthe loves visiting her gran in her flat with its rooftop garden. But Nani is becoming forgetful, and Xanthe wishes she could help her, if only she knew how. A mysterious cat shows her a way. It leads Xanthe to clues about Nani's childhood, and how, long ago, she had to escape her old life in Africa for a new one in Britain.

Young Adults

	You Don’t Know What War Is Yeva Scaliest This is the diary of 12-year-old Yeva Skalietska following her experience of life in Ukraine after the Russians invaded. An eye opening and heartbreaking tale of what it is like to be a modern refugee.
	I am Malala Malala Yousafzai The story of the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban. This is an autobiographical book by Malala Yousafzai, an extraordinary story of resilience, a family shattered by terrorism and the power of one voice to inspire change in the world.
	Illegal Eoin Colfer A graphic novel that follows a young boy Ebo as he sets out on a journey from Africa to find his brother and make it to Europe. Along the way, he has to cross the Sahara desert, avoid soldiers, and cross the Mediterranean on a dinghy.
	When Stars are Scattered Omar Mohamed This non-fiction graphic novel is the story of Omar Mohamed's years at a refugee camp in Kenya. He cared for his brother and found the courage to dream big.
	Never Fall Down Patricia McCormick Based on the true story of an 11-year-old Cambodian boy Arn Chorn-Pond, who survived the Khmer Rouge by playing music in the Killing Fields.

Films and Documentaries

	The Swimmers Based on a true story, The Swimmers follows the journey from war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics. Two young sisters embark on a harrowing journey as refugees.
	For Sama The story of Waad al-Kateab’s life through five years of the uprising in Aleppo, Syria as she falls in love, gets married and gives birth to her daughter Sama.
	Oksijan Oksijan tells the true story of a 7-year old Afghan boy who finds himself trapped in a refrigerated truck with 14 other refugees as they are smuggled into the UK.
	Limbo A comedy-drama that centres on four asylum seekers who are staying on a remote island in Scotland, and taking cultural awareness classes, while awaiting the processing of their refugee claims.
	The Old Oak When a group of Syrian refugees move into a former mining village in County Durham, a decisive rift fuelled by prejudices develops between the community and its newest inhabitants.
	Sky and Ground A documentary film that accompanies the Nabi clan, a large, extended Syrian-Kurdish family, as they painstakingly make their way from their home in Aleppo across Europe in search of asylum.
	One Life The true story of Nicholas Winton, a young London broker who, in the months leading up to World War II, helped rescue 669 Jewish children from the Nazis. Fifty years later, Winton is haunted by the fate of the children he wasn’t able to save.
	Flee An animated documentary film that tells the story of a boy whose family left Afghanistan in the 1990s. Now an adult talking under the alias of Amin Nawabi, he reveals his hidden past, fleeing Kabul and travelling to Denmark.
	Human Flow A German documentary film looking at the global refugee crisis. Captured over the course of a year in 23 countries, the film follows a chain of human stories as they experience displacement due to war, climate change and famine.
	The Midnight Traveller A documentary film filmed on three smartphones, chronicles the 3 year journey taken by Hassan Fazili, his wife and two daughters from their home in Afghanistan to Europe in search of asylum.