Invisible Crowd

Ellen Wiles was born in 1981 and grew up in Reading. After doing a music degree at Oxford, she did a Master’s in Human Rights Law, and then became a barrister at a London chambers, disappearing off periodically to work, including on The Bushmen Project in Botswana and with Karenni refugees in a camp in Thailand. After scribbling fiction on the side for a while, she did a Master’s in Creative Writing, and eventually quit the law. She is the author of Saffron Shadows and salvaged Scripts: Literary Life in Myanmar Under Censorship and in Transition (Columbia University Press, 2015), which includes interviews with Burmese writers and new literary translations. She is currently doing a PhD in LiteraryAnthropology, researching live literature, and directs an experimental live literature project. She lives in London with her husband and two small children.

'A wonderful book – brilliantly vivid and human, and I was completely taken up by the story. The characters felt real and the depiction of the shadow world of refugees and how we regard them rang true. I'm so glad to have read it and hope it reaches many people.' Maurice Wren, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council‘The Invisible Crowd is primarily a portrait of Britain and of what British people do when confronted with difference. It is a plea for compassion. It pushes us to find our kinder selves.’ Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Harmless Like You'A compelling contemporary story that shines a light on the lives of migrants and refugees and our search for common humanity'. Sita Brahmachari, author of Artichoke Hearts‘A fierce, big-hearted novel that celebrates the power of compassion and the resilience of the human spirit. It takes a special gift to explore an issue so urgent and so complex in such an emotionally satisfying way. Ellen Wiles has this gift.’ Joe Treasure, author of The Book of Air‘A sensitive, affecting novel, which looks behind the headlines to explore the experience of an asylum seeker in the UK’ Francesca Rhydderch, author of The Rice Paper Diaries'A deeply felt novel using a technique that literally 'gets behind the headlines' on asylum' Tim Finch,author of The House of Jounalists‘A brilliant novel that gives voice to those often silenced or dispossessed' Paul Burston, author of The Black Path'I absolutely loved it. It's beautifully written, fascinating, emotional, serious, brilliant'. Gemma Seltzer, author of Speak to Strangers