The author of The Diary of an Immigrant has held discussions with Jim Dick OBE, Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire and His Majesty The King’s representative in the area, as part of efforts to deepen conversations around migration, identity and belonging.

The meeting, described by the author as a warm and meaningful engagement, took place during a courtesy call on Mr Dick, where the author presented copies of The Diary of an Immigrant.

What began as a presentation of the book developed into an extensive discussion on the realities of migration and the experiences of people building new lives away from their countries of origin.

The author shared personal experiences and the journey that inspired the book, highlighting themes including sacrifice, resilience, identity, belonging and the challenges associated with starting life in a new environment.

According to the author, Mr Dick emphasised the importance of embracing people from different cultural and social backgrounds and acknowledged the value of documenting the immigrant experience.

The Lord-Lieutenant also expressed an interest in reading the book and continuing the conversation should its themes generate further thoughts or feedback.

The author also engaged with Patricia Dalby JP, DL, HM Vice Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire, who had taken time to learn about the author’s wider work before the meeting.

Their discussion touched on personal development, The King Obed Podcast, the author’s previous two books and the broader vision surrounding The Diary of an Immigrant.

A key part of the conversation was the author’s ambition to establish an annual conference that would bring together immigrants, community leaders, professionals and institutions to discuss migration, identity, belonging and purpose.

The proposed platform is intended to take the conversation beyond the pages of the book and create opportunities for people from different backgrounds to share experiences and explore issues affecting immigrant communities.

The author said it was encouraging to receive interest in the vision, including willingness to explore ways of contributing to the proposed platform and helping the public better understand the work of the Lieutenancy.

Copies of The Diary of an Immigrant were subsequently signed and presented to Mr Dick and Ms Dalby.

Reflecting on the engagement, the author expressed gratitude to the Lord-Lieutenant, Vice Lord-Lieutenant and the wider Lieutenancy team for their warm reception and interest in the ideas behind the book.

The author said the engagement reinforced a growing ambition to use the book as a vehicle for broader discussions about migration and the experiences of immigrants.

“What started as a book is steadily becoming a much bigger conversation,” the author said.