Author denied UK visa unable to attend premiere of play based on his memoir
The author of an award-winning memoir about his life as a refugee has been refused a UK visa to attend a premiere of its adaptation for the London stage by one of Britain’s most celebrated playwrights.Ibrahima Balde, who lives in Spain, was told the UK government was not satisfied he would return home after the performance of Little Brother, which begins its run at Jermyn Street theatre next week.Balde’s memoir, Little Brother: An Odyssey to Europe, chronicles his search along the migrant routes of the Sahara for his younger sibling, Alhassane, who ran away from school in Guinea, west Africa, to make money for the family.The book’s critical acclaim led to Balde meeting the late Pope Francis and its adaptation for the stage by Timberlake Wertenbaker, an Olivier award-winner described in the Washington Post as “the doyenne of political theatre of the 1980s and 1990s”.Balde’s visa application to attend the premiere on 20 May during a four-day visit to London had been supported by the Jermyn Street theatre.
He was due to stay with Wertenbaker during his time in London.In its refusal letter, dated 13 May, to Balde, the Home Office said it was “not satisfied that you have demonstrated your circumstances are as declared or are as such that you intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit.”It added: “Any future UK visa applications you make will be considered on their individual merits, however you are likely to be refused unless the circumstances of your application change.In relation to this decision, there is no right of appeal or right to administrative review.”In a statement, Jermyn Street theatre called for the Home Office to reconsider the decision and suggested it was a symptom of a hardening of the government’s approach to migration in response to the political challenge of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.
Keir Starmer has been accused in recent days of echoing the far right after the prime minister made a speech in which he warned of the risk of Britain becoming an “island of strangers”.The theatre said: “We’re extremely disappointed that the UK Home Office has denied renowned writer Ibrahima Balde a visa to visit the UK to attend the upcoming performances at Jermyn Street theatre of Little Brother, a play adapted from his PEN Award-winning memoir of the same name.“Little Brother tells Ibrahima’s story of leaving his home in Guinea to find his younger brother who is trying to make his way to Europe.“His book has become a source of inspiration across the world and led to him meeting with Pope Francis.“It has been met with critical acclaim, translated into 13 languages, and read by countless people around the globe who have been drawn to a deeply personal narrative that gives voice to the often-nameless people behind the headlines about migration.
”The theatre added: “The refusal of a visa to a writer of such magnitude denies UK audiences an important cultural connection, and it is a decision which cannot be removed from the current political conversations around migration and the political rhetoric that surround them,“Jermyn Street theatre urges the Home Office to reconsider this decision and allow him entry into the country to attend the premiere of a play based upon his story,”Wertenbaker, whose best-known work, Our Country’s Good, received six Tony nominations for its 1991 production, said: “It breaks my heart that the Home Office does not trust the intentions of such a special man who already has gone through so much,The decision illustrates why staging this play is important,“We must never forget that the stories of migrants are human stories and to deny a writer the opportunity to participate in the staging of his own work runs the risk of losing sight of that.
”Balde, who co-authored his memoir with the Spanish poet, Amets Arzallus Antia, said: “I am disappointed by the decision of the Home Office which will prevent me travelling to London to see my own story on stage in London,“This is my story but also the story of many others who have undertaken the same journey,I was to be in London for four days before returning to my home in Madrid,I hope a way can be found for me to attend the play in London,“The world is a very big place for many people, with so much space for the want and need to explore.
But for some people, like me, the world is a small place, the rest of which I am not allowed to see.”The book’s publishers in the UK, Scribe Publications, said it was “deeply concerned that such a significant writer has been denied a visa to the UK at the moment where his story – one shared by many migrants entering Europe – is due to be introduced to a new audience”.A Home Office spokesperson said: “All applicants are given the opportunity to provide additional evidence in support of their application when requested.”
Rachel Roddy’s recipe for courgette, onion and chickpea flour bake, or scarpaccia | A kitchen in Rome
Like millions of people all over the world, ideas are often planted in my head by a couple called Alessandro Vitale and Iasmina P, whose fast-paced videos document recipes they have developed based on the vegetables they grow, with the objective of using absolutely everything. Edited for social media, their videos are designed not just to attract, but to trap attention in a TikTok spell, then communicate a rush of information in a matter of seconds. However, within the well-calculated rush of decisive movements and fishbowl close-ups, Alessandro (otherwise known as Spicy Moustache) is a hugely likable, calm and good teacher.For months now, his enthusiastic and entertaining approach to a vegetable or process has sent me into the kitchen to grate something and rub it with salt, to turn into a fritter or cake. “Such a vivid thing for us today,” is what Jane Grigson said about the ideas of Giacomo Castelvetro, the 16th-century proponent of vegetables and author of The Fruit, Herbs and Vegetables of Italy (1614), and I think the same can be said about Alessandro
How to turn old bread into a classic Portuguese soup – recipe
Today’s punchy and bright-green garlic and coriander soup is an intriguing Portuguese way to use up stale bread. The recipe is adapted from the traditional açorda of Alentejo, where it’s thought of as the region’s signature dish. Açorda is said to have been born from necessity, a waste-saving and resourceful soup that’s transformed by olive oil, plentiful herbs and rich egg. I find this take on it particularly interesting because, instead of simmering the coriander, garlic and egg in hot broth, they are instead put in a bowl and the broth is poured over them. This enhances the powerful flavours of the garlic and coriander, and the whole lot is then ladled over stale bread
Chilli oil udon and salmon salad: Justin Tsang’s speedy noodle recipes for one
At this time of year, I find myself swaying towards lighter meals and bolder flavours, and especially recipes that include a ton of herbs, citrus and spice. Noodles are my go-to theme in the warmer months, and for good reason: they’re super-versatile, can be eaten hot or cold, and they soak up flavours like a sponge. These recipes for one are also speedy, low-fuss and involve minimal cooking – perfect for maximising your time outdoors.These are inspired by my travels across China and its love for all things spicy noodles. A perfectly balanced sauce made with soy, vinegar and herbs means these salty, sweet, sour and spicy noodles are incredibly addictive
The cardamom conundrum: what’s the difference between green and black pods? | Kitchen aide
What’s the difference between green and black cardamom, and when should I use pods or ground? “Cardamom is my favourite spice,” says Cynthia Shanmugalingam, chef/proprietor of Rambutan in London. “It smells like childhood puddings and sweets.” That’s not to say the papery pods filled with black seeds aren’t versatile, mind. Yes, cardamom can bring a “piney, eucalyptus-like fragrance and warmth” to desserts, Shanmugalingam adds, but it also “adds depth” to savoury dishes, meaning you can take it in multiple directions.With its origins in southern India and a relative of ginger, cardamom pods commonly come in green and black (also known as brown) form, as well as red (used mainly in Chinese and Asian cuisines) and white, which are bleached green pods
Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy recipe for soy and peanut trout with smashed cucumber, radishes and beans | Quick and easy
This is a lovely, light dinner, featuring honey- and soy-dressed peanut trout alongside a crunchy smashed cucumber and radish salad. With cannellini beans also tossed through the salad, you’ll be hard pressed to notice that this is also a low-carb meal.Salting the cucumber helps to get rid of the excess water, and improves the texture no end.Prep 15 min Cook 20 min Serves 22 trout fillets 30g peanuts, roughly chopped30ml soy sauce25g tsp honey 1 large cucumber, cut into 1⅓cm-thick rounds1 tsp sea salt flakes15ml sesame oil Juice of 1 lime (30ml)½ tsp chilli flakes Salt 150g radishes, trimmed and quartered400g tin cannellini beans, drainedHeat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Put the trout fillets in a small, lined baking dish, ideally one small enough to hold them fairly snugly
Elly Curshen’s quick weeknight recipes for using up leftover greens, bread and vegetables
These are all about taking the spoils of the weekend, whether that’s leftovers from Sunday lunch, the bits you couldn’t finish from a takeaway or the last scraps from a party spread, and stretching them out to make joyous weekday lunches. I’m concentrating on ideas, rather than recipes as such, because using up the odds and ends from the fridge needs to be part of the flow of your cooking to avoid waste. Everything is quick, easy, involves minimal prep and, crucially, is endlessly open to adaptation. Prep 5 minCook 15 min Serves 11 medium egg Leftover naan or roti, or frozen paratha cooked from frozen in a dry frying pan for a couple of minutes1 spring onion and/or fresh herbs – coriander is perfect Chutney, such as mango, raita, mint, lime pickle Chilli crisp – I like LaoganmaBring a small pan of water to a boil, then add the egg and set a timer for six and a half minutes. (To save time, boil and peel a few eggs, then keep them in a sealed container in the fridge, where they’ll be fine for three days
Australian girl, 11, sexually abused by stranger after adding him to get Snapchat points
TikTok breached EU advertising transparency laws, commission says
Trump says he has a ‘little problem’ with Tim Cook over Apple’s India production
Musk’s AI Grok bot rants about ‘white genocide’ in South Africa in unrelated chats
Elon Musk shows he still has the White House’s ear on Trump’s Middle East trip
‘Aggressive’ hackers of UK retailers are now targeting US stores, says Google