Cover of “The Human Flow” with a photo by Jonathan Power. – Photo: 2024
By Ramesh Jaura
BERLIN | May 19, 2024 (IDN) — The Human Flow, a novel by Jonathan Power—a renowned journalist, filmmaker and broadcaster—makes for a fascinating and thought-provoking read. Published by ibidem Press in February 2024, it is a fascinating book about two journalists—a Tanzanian, Agnes, and Jon, an Englishman.
They embark on a perilous journey to report on migrant trafficking from West Africa. As they travel from Senegal and Mali through Mauritania, Morocco, Spain, France and finally England, Agnes and John encounter heart-wrenching stories of hardship and loss.
But their lives are also in danger: Agnes is kidnapped by traffickers and John sets out to save her. Along the way they meet Ana, a journalist from Spain. A daring romance develops with the three of them. Their journey takes them to the slums of Paris and London, where they inspire the BBC to film their story.
But their search for the truth comes at a high price, as they are captured by a guerilla movement in Morocco and eventually meet a disastrous end in Libya – which underscores the brutal reality.
This fast-paced and compelling story sheds light on the harsh reality of human trafficking and the bravery of journalists who risk everything to uncover the truth. Full of danger, excitement and humanity, Jonathan Power’s novel reveals the harsh reality on the ground.
The United Nations Organization for Migration (IOM) referred to On March 22, 2024, the bodies of at least 65 people were discovered in a mass grave in southwestern Libya.
The IOM noted that the circumstances of death and nationalities of the people were unknown “but it is believed that they died in the desert smuggling process.”
The agency stressed that while Libyan authorities had launched an investigation into the deaths, it was important for them to “ensure a dignified recovery, identification and transfer of the remains of the dead migrants” and to inform and assist their families.
About the novelist
Jonathan Power is best known for his weekly column and commentary on foreign affairs that appeared in the International Herald Tribune (now The New York Times) for 17 years. He is also the author of eight books on foreign affairs, including Like Water on Stone: The Story of Amnesty International, published by Penguin.
Before getting his master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin, Power worked in Tanzania, advising farmers while living in a local village. He later joined Martin Luther King’s staff, living in the West Side ghetto, working with Jesse Jackson on the “End the Slums” campaign in Chicago. He was the first journalist to report extensively in English on the trafficking of African migrants in the Sahara and in France. [IDN-InDepthNews]
Image: Cover of “The Human Flow” with a photo by Jonathan Power.