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The Professional 

It is a universally acknowledged truth that an immigrant in England must be in want of a visa. In 1980s London, young Sri Lankan Chamath, recently down from Oxford with a degree in Maths, struggles to reconcile himself with the workplace. When his father writes him to say, ‘You’re on your own now, mate’, assuming that the magic word ‘Oxford’ will open any door to him, he realizes that push must now come to shove. Working on a building site as a casual labourer, he is approached by two men who ask him whether he would like ‘a bit of work after hours, to earn some dosh on the side’. Chamath gets dragged down below the invisible grid that exists in any big city, into a blue-grey twilight world of illegals. Hired as a male escort, a ‘professional’, a career at which he excels to his great surprise, he finds an unlikely means of making his way through the world. Then, two former clients, an older couple, decide to rescue him-with disastrous consequences. Masterfully and hilariously told, The Professional is sage, canny and witty as Ashok Ferrey always is: an exploration of the nature and meaning of love, of time, of memory. 

About the author:

Ashok Ferrey: Born in Colombo, raised in East Africa, educated at a Benedictine monastery in the
wilds of Sussex, Ashok Ferrey read Pure Maths at Christ Church Oxford, ending up
(naturally) in Brixton, converting Victorian houses during the Thatcher Years.
He describes himself as a failed builder, indifferent mathematician, barman and
personal trainer to the rich and infamous. His earlier Colpetty People and The Good
Little Ceylonese Girl as well as Serendipity were shortlisted for the Gratiaen Prize, Sri
Lanka’s premier literary award.
Today Ferrey continues to design houses and is a guest lecturer at the Sri Lanka
Institute of Architecture. His hobbies include pushing the car when it’s out of petrol and
de-ticking the dogs. Oh, and vegetable shopping at Raheema’s.