The Observer’s Christmas appeal is raising money for Counterpoints Arts. The writer and lawyer explains why its support of creative work by and about migrants resonates with him

This year, The Observer’s Christmas appeal is raising funds for the charity Counterpoints Arts, which supports creative work by and about migrants. Their work is more vital than ever

Footnote Press and Counterpoints Arts have partnered to launch the 2026 Footnote x Counterpoints Non-Fiction Prize for writers from refugee and migrant backgrounds.

The Footnote x Counterpoints prize is intended to uncover new literary voices whose work reflects the experiences of migration

The writer, who was born in a refugee camp in Germany after the war, won the Wodehouse prize for comic writing for her debut A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian