Refugee Boy by Lemn Sissay

Benjamin Zephaniah's novel was initially written for teenage audiences in 2001, followed by an adaptation to stage in 2013 by author Lemn Sissay. It was was first performed at the West Yorkshire Playhouse (now Leeds Playhouse) in March 2013, before going on a national tour the following year. A subsequent production was staged at the London's Chickenshed Theatre in 2017.

Contemporary Black plays often foreground social and political concerns. Refugee Boy explores themes about refugees fleeing war and persecution and the legal processes of applying for asylum in the UK, with an emphasis on the experiences of children. The plot centres on the story of Alem Kelo, a 14-year-old boy whose father brings him to Britain to claim asylum because it is not safe for him to remain living in either Ethiopia or Eritrea, where his father and mother are respectively from. Families like Alem's were separated in a border war between the two countries that took place between 1998 and 2000. Alem's parents are thought of as ‘traitors’ to Ethiopia and Eritrea, while Alem is described as a ‘mongrel’ because of his mixed heritage.