Oh, how sweet! A collection of short stories on the theme of love and travel. Bound to be heartwarming, eh? Not in the hands of this international line-up. Stanley Kenani's We Will Dance in Lampedusa is about an African migrant who nearly drowns with his fiancee as they try to cross the Mediterranean. I read his story even as the media reported that hundreds of refugees attempting the same journey had died. So much about this story is heartbreaking: the naivety of the narrator, his confidence that he will be welcome in Europe, the money paid to ruthless traffickers. Also powerful is The Manila Envelope, by Tendayi Bloom. I read with growing dread as a gullible Filipina delivers herself over to men who intend to exploit her abroad. My favourite was The Queue, by Tendai Huchu, in which a Zimbabwean meets an upbeat woman who gives him new heart.
