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We Move
Here, beneath the planes circling Heathrow, various lives connect. Priti speaks English and her nani Punjabi. Without Priti's mum around they struggle to make a shared language. Not far away, Chetan and Aanshi's relationship shifts when a woman leaves her car in their drive but never returns to collect it. Gujan's baba steps out of his flat above the chicken shop for the first time in years to take his grandson on a bicycle tour of the old and changed neighbourhood. And returning home after dropping out of university, Lata grapples with a secret about her estranged family friend, now a chart-topping rapper in a crisis of confidence.
Mapping an area of West London, these stories chart a wider narrative about the movement of multiple generations of immigrants. In acts of startling imagination, Gurnaik Johal's debut brings together the past and the present, the local and the global, to show the surprising ways we come together.
Mapping an area of West London, these stories chart a wider narrative about the movement of multiple generations of immigrants. In acts of startling imagination, Gurnaik Johal's debut brings together the past and the present, the local and the global, to show the surprising ways we come together.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2022
25 people are currently reading
542 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
June 7, 2023
Impressed by these largely successful linked stories of a Sikh family who live near Heathrow airport (some work there). Beautifully detailed pieces on music, growing up, religion. Masses of gorgeous food too (one of the daughters opens a restaurant in New York and writes a cook book). The family history includes escape from the 1984 Amritsar massacre. Stories about other people in the area are included and overall it’s a very satisfying collection. So young too (born 1998)!
April 17, 2022
We Move, Gurnaik Johal’s debut short story collection, is set in the London district of Southall, famed for its large South Asian population, especially of Punjabi background. Think Bend it Like Beckham, with hundreds of shops boasting the best Indian food, clothes, jewellery and more. Naturally the narratives centre around various members of the immigrant population and how they have made their lives in England.
Johal’s exploration of his characters’ hidden lives is what is most exciting. He rightly subverts cultural stereotypes and his audience gains a deeper understanding as a result. What dark secrets does the local Indian’s cook have, who you thought was the most straightforward man around? What about his famous chef daughter, or her newly religious sister?
In three cleverly interlinking stories, each titled Chatpata, Johal explores with a keen eye what really occurs beneath the actions of those with otherwise outwardly conventional lives. At the end of the second story, Chatpata: Ahankar, Aman observes her closet gay Dad cooking and ironically wonders, “If only she could have a simple and straightforward a life as him.” Johal sneakily winks at us, his audience, as we know things are not this way.
This is not the only time someone is comparing their life to that of a family member. Take The Red River, which ends with mother, Renu and her son, Karan playing, and her feeling “how happy she was that he could be so loud, that he would never know quietness like she had.”
Johal is interested in the intersection between the lives of different generations in immigrant families and the stark contrast in their experiences. Aman may run a high-end dinery in New York but her parents are former farmers from rural Punjab who struggle with her swanky menu. In the final story, We Move, Lata casually drinks wine and dances with her Mum, Meena, and friends, but when Meena does the same twenty years ago, she is forced into an abusive arranged marriage.
The immersion of many of his stories into the world of British Indians is bold and fruitful. Johal speaks their language, he doesn’t shy away from casual mentions of their backstories and interestingly doesn’t translate words like ‘kuzhambu’, ‘nani’ and ‘apneh’, which had even me, as a first generation Indian, googling definitions. A lesser writer would have done so. It is up to us to find out what these words represent, for in We Move’s Southall setting, these words are used as easily one would say ‘fish and chips’, ‘tea’ or ‘football’.
This acute insight into people’s lives is not found in all the stories however, and that is a significant downfall, for this is what makes We Move. Johal is guilty of writing too much at times and saying too little, and in certain stories like The Piano and Freehold, it seems there is not much beyond the surface.
The most brilliant story in the collection is the first one, Arrival, which won the coveted Galley Beggar Press short story prize in 2021/2022. Arrival is subtle, sweet, and stunningly crafted. In less than five pages, Johal shows how Divya leaving her jilted lover has unexpected consequences for Chetan and Aanshi’s boring, suburban life. They are galvanised into adventurous holidays, cooking exotic meals and trips to IKEA. The decline of Divya’s relationship paralleled with Chetan and Aanshi’s growth is beautifully rendered by Johal, who is expert at exhibiting the tiny quirks and irregularities that those who have been together a long time cherish. Arrival is short story writing at its finest.
Johal in only 23 and has released a strong collection. His next book, a novel, is set in India and is assessing the impact of the mythical river Saraswati on its surrounding population. He has also made a Spotify playlist containing tracks mentioned across the stories. In We Move, you’re given the ingredients to enter Southall and explore. A sentimental, talented and fastidious writer, it will be interesting to see what more Johal has in store for us.
Johal’s exploration of his characters’ hidden lives is what is most exciting. He rightly subverts cultural stereotypes and his audience gains a deeper understanding as a result. What dark secrets does the local Indian’s cook have, who you thought was the most straightforward man around? What about his famous chef daughter, or her newly religious sister?
In three cleverly interlinking stories, each titled Chatpata, Johal explores with a keen eye what really occurs beneath the actions of those with otherwise outwardly conventional lives. At the end of the second story, Chatpata: Ahankar, Aman observes her closet gay Dad cooking and ironically wonders, “If only she could have a simple and straightforward a life as him.” Johal sneakily winks at us, his audience, as we know things are not this way.
This is not the only time someone is comparing their life to that of a family member. Take The Red River, which ends with mother, Renu and her son, Karan playing, and her feeling “how happy she was that he could be so loud, that he would never know quietness like she had.”
Johal is interested in the intersection between the lives of different generations in immigrant families and the stark contrast in their experiences. Aman may run a high-end dinery in New York but her parents are former farmers from rural Punjab who struggle with her swanky menu. In the final story, We Move, Lata casually drinks wine and dances with her Mum, Meena, and friends, but when Meena does the same twenty years ago, she is forced into an abusive arranged marriage.
The immersion of many of his stories into the world of British Indians is bold and fruitful. Johal speaks their language, he doesn’t shy away from casual mentions of their backstories and interestingly doesn’t translate words like ‘kuzhambu’, ‘nani’ and ‘apneh’, which had even me, as a first generation Indian, googling definitions. A lesser writer would have done so. It is up to us to find out what these words represent, for in We Move’s Southall setting, these words are used as easily one would say ‘fish and chips’, ‘tea’ or ‘football’.
This acute insight into people’s lives is not found in all the stories however, and that is a significant downfall, for this is what makes We Move. Johal is guilty of writing too much at times and saying too little, and in certain stories like The Piano and Freehold, it seems there is not much beyond the surface.
The most brilliant story in the collection is the first one, Arrival, which won the coveted Galley Beggar Press short story prize in 2021/2022. Arrival is subtle, sweet, and stunningly crafted. In less than five pages, Johal shows how Divya leaving her jilted lover has unexpected consequences for Chetan and Aanshi’s boring, suburban life. They are galvanised into adventurous holidays, cooking exotic meals and trips to IKEA. The decline of Divya’s relationship paralleled with Chetan and Aanshi’s growth is beautifully rendered by Johal, who is expert at exhibiting the tiny quirks and irregularities that those who have been together a long time cherish. Arrival is short story writing at its finest.
Johal in only 23 and has released a strong collection. His next book, a novel, is set in India and is assessing the impact of the mythical river Saraswati on its surrounding population. He has also made a Spotify playlist containing tracks mentioned across the stories. In We Move, you’re given the ingredients to enter Southall and explore. A sentimental, talented and fastidious writer, it will be interesting to see what more Johal has in store for us.
March 7, 2022
A set of shorts, loosely connected by characters whose stories loop together.
Johal has written stories with the South East Asian population in mind, from the immigrants to the first/second generation, detailing their experiences.
An easy read, but since the characters and stories all intertwined, I do wish that there was more detail to really enhance the shorts.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Johal has written stories with the South East Asian population in mind, from the immigrants to the first/second generation, detailing their experiences.
An easy read, but since the characters and stories all intertwined, I do wish that there was more detail to really enhance the shorts.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 7, 2023
The best book i’ll read this year!
July 11, 2023
some nice, lyrical diaspora tales, whilst others were lacklustre. if i could just pick out a handful of short stories, flesh them out more and then remove the rest, then this one would be a 5/5.
August 4, 2023
without a doubt the best book i’ve read this year and i am questioning whether anything will top it. each of these stories, all set in west london with mostly south asian characters, are so beautifully written, so perfectly observed, tender, vivid and rich. it wasn’t until about halfway through that i realised that the stories were loosely linked by their characters, but i loved this aspect. i didn’t want this to end, each of these stories could have been a book of its own, particularly the three ‘chatpata’ stories and the titular ‘we move’.
February 1, 2022
I read this really quickly, it is a fun and easy collection of short stories that is written with a really beautiful quality and contains a cast of rich characters that I loved reading about. A very enjoyable read.
August 2, 2025
this joy-luck-club-style where you look into the perspectives of different generations of immigrants is so underrated and so beautiful when done well. I wish I was smart enough to make something half as good
November 21, 2025
I enjoyed the collection of short stories set in Southall, West London, although I did feel that some may have needed editing out.
I particularly liked Chatpata which were interconnected short stories about one family
I particularly liked Chatpata which were interconnected short stories about one family
December 12, 2021
Like listening to snippets of songs on the radio, ‘We Move’ captures snapshots of lives, deeply evocative of place, filled with scent and taste, history and culture. These are lightly connected stories of multiple generations of immigrants; each filled with family dynamics, secrets, connections shared through faith, food, music. Pulsing with life and vitality, I just wished it was longer.
August 7, 2022
We Move is a series of interconnected short stories set in an area of West London, giving us glimpses into the close-knit British-Punjabi community. The stories feature recurring characters, either as the protagonist or appearing later as someone's relative or friend and changing our perspective on how we originally perceived them. We Move uses the characters and their stories to challenge cultural stereotypes ("You only had to wait so long when reading a western story about India to come across a mango, a railway or a spiritual awakening”).
Food and traditional customs are themes that run throughout the stories. In the first trio of stories about a grieving family coming together after the loss of a mother, it is cooking all her favourite dishes at home and for a religious festival that helps to bring them back together. All the descriptions of traditional Indian meals and snacks were so good my mouth was actually watering at one point!
One stand-out story is "Chatpata: Kaam", with middle-aged Jagmeet remembering the forbidden love he had for his friend Hiten. Decades later, Jagmeet continues to struggle with his sexuality.
Perhaps the only downside is that with so many short stories in one volume, it was hard for me to keep track of all the different characters and remembering how they were connected with each other (family member/friend/lover etc.).
There is lots to enjoy in We Move - history, culture, British-Asian identity, food and politics. Johal writes with a cool, mature voice and it's a little astonishing that this is his debut publication!
Food and traditional customs are themes that run throughout the stories. In the first trio of stories about a grieving family coming together after the loss of a mother, it is cooking all her favourite dishes at home and for a religious festival that helps to bring them back together. All the descriptions of traditional Indian meals and snacks were so good my mouth was actually watering at one point!
One stand-out story is "Chatpata: Kaam", with middle-aged Jagmeet remembering the forbidden love he had for his friend Hiten. Decades later, Jagmeet continues to struggle with his sexuality.
Perhaps the only downside is that with so many short stories in one volume, it was hard for me to keep track of all the different characters and remembering how they were connected with each other (family member/friend/lover etc.).
There is lots to enjoy in We Move - history, culture, British-Asian identity, food and politics. Johal writes with a cool, mature voice and it's a little astonishing that this is his debut publication!
October 23, 2023
Enjoyed the short story format and some of the stories (like the Chaptata series) carried a real urgency of message - the disruption of switching between each story just as the characters are developed and fully realised is balanced by the binding element of the whole collection, which is the undeniable primacy of human connection. The voids of language and gaps between cultures and generations are broached through the medium of personal relationships in quite a poetic and touching way.
But I think that this overarching message became a bit lost, and the collection did have the feeling of being jumbled and faltering at times. I found that some of the stories felt undeveloped and lacked a strong narrative voice, reading as slightly forgettable. Such a young writer and one to watch out for though
But I think that this overarching message became a bit lost, and the collection did have the feeling of being jumbled and faltering at times. I found that some of the stories felt undeveloped and lacked a strong narrative voice, reading as slightly forgettable. Such a young writer and one to watch out for though
November 5, 2025
I quite liked this book - although like all short story collections, some stories were better than others. I particularly liked the titular story - we move. The characters were interesting and the context felt very current.
I have to admit I didn't recognise the links between some stories until I had gone back and checked on character names etc. I also found the large number of references to particular Indian dishes a bit frustrating as I kept stopping to look up what they were.
Nevertheless, it was a nice insight to the modern British-Punjabi community and their constant ties to their heritage, frequently at odds with their current West London location. It was interesting to see how many of the older generation of characters coped with very limited use of English, relying on their offspring to act as translators when required.
Will look out for more from this author.
I have to admit I didn't recognise the links between some stories until I had gone back and checked on character names etc. I also found the large number of references to particular Indian dishes a bit frustrating as I kept stopping to look up what they were.
Nevertheless, it was a nice insight to the modern British-Punjabi community and their constant ties to their heritage, frequently at odds with their current West London location. It was interesting to see how many of the older generation of characters coped with very limited use of English, relying on their offspring to act as translators when required.
Will look out for more from this author.
November 12, 2024
So pleased I found this book, it’s now one of my absolute favourites and I’ve found a new author whose work I’ll be following. It’s great to see Southall and my own community in fiction, but aside from that, I’m always excited to find really good writers to read.
I was carried along in the characters and story arcs, and also liked that women were written in a multilayered way, which is not always the case with male writers. Things like immigration, Operation Blue Star, and sexuality in the context of Sikh religion were also covered sensitively, accurately and with a lot of originality, which is tough to do.
Looking forward to more of this writer’s work, always exciting to discover a new favourite author!
I was carried along in the characters and story arcs, and also liked that women were written in a multilayered way, which is not always the case with male writers. Things like immigration, Operation Blue Star, and sexuality in the context of Sikh religion were also covered sensitively, accurately and with a lot of originality, which is tough to do.
Looking forward to more of this writer’s work, always exciting to discover a new favourite author!
June 15, 2022
These exquisitely written short stories give the reader powerful emotional snapshots of British South Asian contemporary life. I was struck by the wide variety of voices, identities and experiences the author has chosen to explore, within the small geographical area of the west London suburb where the stories are largely set.
The spare prose that packs intense emotion into few words reminds me of Sally Rooney’s writing. I am looking forward to seeing what Gurnaik Johal could create in a novel, with more space to build plot and explore his characters. I suspect it will be great.
The spare prose that packs intense emotion into few words reminds me of Sally Rooney’s writing. I am looking forward to seeing what Gurnaik Johal could create in a novel, with more space to build plot and explore his characters. I suspect it will be great.
October 9, 2025
Brilliant portraiture of Sikhs in West London. The three ‘chatpata’ stories were particularly affecting. I like the emphasis on blue collar professionals; these aren’t characters you get often in literature. The bits about southall riots and 1984 were really well handled educational. I particularly liked Jagmeet’s storyline, it’s very daring
As with most short story collections, some fell flat. The writing style is simple and mostly effective, though occasionally a little bland. Overall, though, an excellent bit of world building
As with most short story collections, some fell flat. The writing style is simple and mostly effective, though occasionally a little bland. Overall, though, an excellent bit of world building
March 27, 2022
A collection of short stories; some of which were entwined. Most of the stories only held my interest to a certain extent as I felt that the way in which they were written was a let-down. There were too many words and details that felt unnecessary and they didn't add anything to the story. The writing lacked focus and meandered.
This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2025
This was such a gorgeous short story collection. If I'm honest, I didn't connect with every story, which is why I've rated We Move 4* (some of these shorts are real 5* treats.)
Mostly it was a reminder of how important it is that I have the ability to read great quality stories from young South Asian authors. I have never experienced such relatable and authentic storytelling in my life and so I'm immensely thankful to the author - can't wait to read more of his work.
Mostly it was a reminder of how important it is that I have the ability to read great quality stories from young South Asian authors. I have never experienced such relatable and authentic storytelling in my life and so I'm immensely thankful to the author - can't wait to read more of his work.
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July 13, 2023I’m not big on short stories (to me they often feel like warming up and then going home at the kick off signal), but I liked this a lot. Because the stories are so short and we are still presented with so much information, I at first thought that it was too calculated, but Johal’s capacity to create depth is actually what makes We Move stand out.
March 7, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, it felt like home. Sikhs, Indians, Southall, Heathrow - everything was so familiar and I felt I was there with it all going off.
I loved that every chapter was about a different person or family but somehow all the paths crossed. Really great find at the local library.
I loved that every chapter was about a different person or family but somehow all the paths crossed. Really great find at the local library.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2025
For such a young man these stories are extraordinary . Though based in the Silh Community of London the breadth of this collection is impressive. The writer has the capacity to write of each generation and explores gender and sexuality with verve and sensitivity. I was mesmerised and cannot wait to read more by this writer.
December 18, 2024
bought this in a second hand bookshop a while ago and forgot i had it, and what a nice suprise it was! lots of lovely little short stories with crossover characters (didn’t clock this until half way though lol) and London centric which i enjoyed
April 19, 2025
We Move, a series of short passages primarily relating stories of people of South Asian descent in contemporary London, feels almost like the opening chapters of 15 different novels. Some intrigued so much, I’d have preferred to stick around and see them develop, others less so.
December 21, 2025
A very variable collection. I liked the Chatpata stories featuring Aman the chef and her sister, but many of the others felt too slight. I’d read the reviews in the the papers and was expecting more - maybe that was the problem
March 14, 2022
A collection of short stories that failed often to capture my interest. This was a pre release but the spelling and syntax spoilt my enjoyment.
May 19, 2022
Absolutely fantastic book!
August 25, 2022
An enjoyable read on the whole. Some great observation in many of these. I disliked the linking of several of these - it seemed unnecessary. Not all of the stories landed with me.
February 24, 2023
Wird überbewertet. Begründung auf Deutsch hier:
https://hansblog.de/kritik-kurzgeschi...
https://hansblog.de/kritik-kurzgeschi...
May 31, 2023
LOVED.
So full of life
So full of life
August 22, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews