When I was researching the history of the working class in Liverpool for a university project, I learnt about the mass deportation of Chinese men (without warning, or a chance to say goodbye to loved ones) from the city after WW2. They left behind children who felt disconnected from their Chinese heritage, and partners who thought they’d been abandoned.
I created this book for that university project, as a lot of people, especially those outside Liverpool, have no idea it ever happened, despite the immense heartbreak and loss it caused. Throughout the book, the silhouette of the dad fades, until there is a physical hole left behind where he should be.
(Translated by Soo Liew)