Karen’s dad is Muslim from Pakistan and her mother is white Christian, and Karen feels as if she doesn’t quite fit in . . . anywhere. So she’s made a choice: she’s switching sides. She’s going to convert to Islam to find her true identity. But Shamshad, her hijab-wearing school mate, isn’t making things easy for her. What’s her deal, anyway? Is Shamshad really any more proper than her?Turmoil erupts as school battles are replaced by family troubles; name-calling turns to physical confrontation, and cataclysmic secrets are unveiled. Set against a backdrop of seething Islamophobia, You’re Not Proper shines a light on issues of identity, religion, politics and class affecting young people today.

Tariq Mehmood is an award-winning writer and film-maker. His books include Hand on the Sun and While There Is Light. He co-directed the multiple-award-winning documentary Injustice. Tariq teaches at the American University of Beirut, in Lebanon, and lives in Beirut and Manchester, UK.