Year of Publication: 2021
Genre: Fiction – Contemporary, Historical, Multigenerational
Country: United Kingdom/Uganda (author of Nigerian–Pakistani heritage)
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Introduction
We Are All Birds of Uganda is Hafsa Zayyan’s debut novel, and it explores themes of migration, belonging, race, identity, and love across two generations and races. Set between London and Uganda, it captures the intertwined experiences of an Indian-Ugandan family and their descendants, addressing questions of home, identity, belonging, colonialism and postcoloniality.
Through deeply personal and reflective storytelling, We Are All Birds of Uganda examines how histories of displacement and racism continue to shape contemporary lives. The novel is part historical fiction, part modern-day exploration of identity and belonging.
Summary
We Are All Birds of Uganda is a story within a story that traces the lives of two people. One of Sameer, a young, bright, and driven man living and working in London, who finds himself at a crossroads about his sense of identity and belonging in the UK and in his place of work. He accepts a promotion at work, but it would mean leaving the UK to work and live in Singapore. Before embarking on this journey, Sameer takes a sojourn to Uganda to learn more about the place where his family came from, before they were expelled by Idi Amin Dada in 1972.
There, his life takes an interesting turn. On his quest to learn about his family in Uganda, he received heartfelt letters from his grandfather to his predeceased wife, in which he detailed his life. His grandfather’s social and political conditioning at the time was so deep that he never even called the people of Uganda Ugandans; he called them “the Blacks.”
It was interesting, however, how his grandfather later forged a great friendship with one of “the Blacks,” close and important enough to entrust him with his estate once Idi Amin expelled Indian-Ugandans and more profoundly, Uganda was so close to his heart that when the time came to choose, he chose Ugandan citizenship over British citizenship. He loved Uganda with all his heart and saw no other place as home. Uganda, for him and his community, was a place of prosperity – still was for the families who remained or went back. Successful Indian families like Sameer’s lived well, and still did so when Sameer went back. Unfortunately, native Ugandans still battled with high levels of poverty even after independence from the British.
Having lost his first wife and remarried, Sameer’s grandfather was despondent, so he began writing letters to his beloved first wife, each beginning with “To my first love, my beloved.” These were then later given to Sameer, and through his re-reading of them, we learn about his family’s life in Uganda, their successful businesses, their eventual expulsion, and his miserable life in Europe.
At first, I found his words hard to read. The way he wrote about “the Blacks” showed his prejudice and his clear thinking of Black people as inferior to the British and Asians in Uganda, but this was a clear consequence of his own colonialism.
When Sameer visits his family’s former home—his grandfather’s house—he meets his grandfather’s friend’s family, who still live there. He is immediately struck by the beauty of the man’s granddaughter, Maryam. Sameer is taken by her instantly, although at first, she is suspicious of him.
Hafsa tackles various historical and contemporary themes in this novel. She captures the contrast between Uganda and the UK, including ongoing racial abuse that is not new. The novel also highlights privilege, prosperity, and the quality of life for families like Sameer’s.
I liked Sameer and Maryam’s love story. It was interesting how Sameer’s implicit bias was challenged through his affection for Maryam. I liked how Sameer confronted his family’s prejudices against marrying outside his culture and race.
Recommendation
I highly recommend We Are All Birds of Uganda to readers interested in stories about migration, race, love, and the search for belonging. It will resonate deeply with anyone navigating multiple identities or cultural heritages. The novel offers a sensitive portrayal of diaspora life and the impact of displacement.
About the Author
Hafsa Zayyan is a British author of Nigerian–Pakistani descent. She studied Law at the University of Cambridge and now works as a dispute resolution lawyer in London. We Are All Birds of Uganda (2021) is her debut novel and the winner of the #Merky Books New Writers’ Prize. Her writing explores race, migration, and identity through the lens of family and intergenerational connection.
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