In Limbo: Brexit Testimonies from EU citizens in the UK
The first title from Byline Books, In Limbo, is one of the most important books of the decade...
About This Project by J.J. Patrick, Publisher at Byline Books
Elena Remigi and Veronique David-Martin, along with Tim Sykes, have worked miracles creating this incredible and powerful book out of a passion for EU and British citizens affected by Britain's decision to leave the European Union. They have put together a unique, raw, and often heartbreaking insight into the human impact of a political decision, covering the one thing which has been most overlooked in Brexit: people.
As demand for the book has grownthey have gone beyond the capabilities of self-publishing - a creative decision they took after putting passion for In Limbo before a publishing contract at the start of their journey.
Now, as a team, we are bringing a new edition of the book to life, with exclusive new testimonies, a new paperback and ebook format, and a first hardcover edition.
We are taking the distribution reach global, ensuring this book can be read on every electronic device, can be bought from every retailer, distributor, and supplier. We are making sure In Limbo is the one thing born of Brexit which is truly without borders.
We cannot do this without meeting the funding target. Your support of this project goes directly towards the production costs of the new editions and to the In Limbo family so they can continue their hard work, travelling Britain and Europe to give the unheard a much needed voice.
Time is short, too. We are running this crowd-funder over thirty days and, behind the scenes, we will all be working flat out to hit the publication date of December the 3rd 2017*. The original, crowd-funded edition, will be retired on this date.
Please take the time to choose a reward option which suits your budget and preferred format, and be part of something truly special.
Thank you.
In Limbo: New Editions With Byline Books
Great journalism is telling the untold story. Getting under the skin of events and bringing the truth to light.
The heart of every great journalistic work is people and In Limbo is as good as it gets. These are the stories of some of the millions affected by Brexit, told in their own words.
We are Byline Books, a unique, crowd-funded publishing house. We create the first draft of history and we cannot do this without your support. This is an exceptional project, due for release on the 3rd of December 2017, but time is limited and every pledge counts.
We have structured our rewards to include a variety of options for all budgets, from ebooks to signed hardcovers and paperbacks. By pledging your support, you are bringing these stories to life and ensuring we can give these voices the platform they deserve on the world stage.
With exclusive new testimonies, global distribution, and some of the most powerful words you are ever likely to read, this is In Limbo, from an idea by Elena Remigi:
In Limbo: Brexit testimonies from EU citizens in the UK is a collection of personal accounts by EU citizens living in Britain that reveals the practical and emotional turmoil they have experienced since the 2016 Referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU. Organised by volunteers on a not-for-profit basis, this anthology is a snapshot of this historical period that aims to add real-life relevance and urgency to the national debate. It comes with a foreword by acclaimed British Hungarian poet George Szirtes.
The collection gives a voice to a sample of the three million UK residents who have been often treated in the political discourse as a depersonalised mass of ‘migrants’. This term, used in a derogatory way by the tabloid press, is actualy incorrect, as European directives on free movement refer to all EU nationals, British people included, as ‘citizens’: all equal and benefiting from the same rights. In contrast, this anthology reveals them as individuals, whose lives have been interrupted, plunged into limbo, by political events few had anticipated. It portrays them as citizens at home in the European Union, until the rules suddenly changed. In addition, a complementary perspective of British nationals who have settled in other parts of the EU is briefly represented at the end of the collection.
This collection is aimed at everybody who is interested in or needs to gain an insight into the true experiences of EU citizens in the UK: members of the public, British family members of EU citizens, journalists and decision-makers in both British and European politics. Its expressed goals are to inform but also help fight against discrimination and prejudice by touching hearts and opening minds.
"One of the most important books of the year - one which severely tests those supposed British traits of Stoicism and calm" - The New European
NOTE on the chapters and on the structure of the book, by Elena Remigi
The book is built as an emotional crescendo. It starts with testimonies expressing sadness and ends with testimonies expressing a sense of betrayal.
Dr Helen De Cruz, a member of the ‘In Limbo – Our Brexit Testimonies’ team, provided the starting point for the book’s structure. She asked a sample of 1000 EU citizens in the UK to express how the Brexit Referendum had made them feel, and published her results in the shape of a word cloud, a ‘Wordle’. The editors chose the top five adjectives in the Wordle, which became the scaffolding on which the testimonies were hung: sad, disappointed, worried, angry and betrayed. However, the emotions depicted in each chapter are rarely clear-cut: like the stages of grief, they are complex, intermingled, messy and prone to changes. In the end, although the scaffolding is still holding everything together, it has receded into the background and each chapter’s title is a quotation from a testimony.
Although the Brits living in the EU would deserve a volume of their own and the present book sadly didn’t have the space to do their testimonies full justice, it felt impossible to produce a collection of testimonies without including them: three powerful testimonies from Brits in the EU were added.
As the book often reads like a love letter to the UK from the EU citizens who have chosen it as their home, the editors wanted to end the book on a positive note. They therefore concluded it with two testimonies focussing on hope.
CHAPTER BREAKDOWN
FOREWORD
By George Szirtes
INTRODUCTION
On the genesis of the book and project
A LITTLE NOTE ABOUT THE COVER
On the story behind the title and cover
A STORY
A story about why the EU means so much in a Europe previously torn by war
PART I
“I, citizen of Europe, my wings clipped, my dreams shattered, my freedom chained…”
Testimonies centred mainly on a feeling of sadness
PART II
“I have done nothing wrong, we have done nothing wrong.”
Testimonies centred mainly on disappointment
PART III
“I have hardly had a good night’s sleep since 24TH June”
Testimonies centred mainly on worry
PART IV
“This is MY LIFE they are messing with, MY HOME and MY FAMILY.”
Testimonies centred mainly on anger
PART V
“I feel like I've been cheated on.”
Testimonies centred mainly on a feeling of betrayal
BRITS ABROAD
Three testimonies from British citizens in the EU
HOPE
An ending full of hope
THE BLOG PAGE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Read more at:https://www.byline.com/project/78