Brighton – As June marks the ten-year anniversary of the Brexit referendum, Brighton-based author Sascha Camilli has released her self-published novel, Year of the Rain, which deals with the experience of EU migrants in London.
The novel follows Swedish aspiring fashion designer Astrid and her partner, Italian budding musician Diego, as they move to London to forge their path in the creative industries. Facing all of the challenges that come with moving to a new country – from flat-viewing to job-hunting – the couple encounter triumphs and obstacles as they explore London life. However, their adventure is upended by the Brexit vote, turning their fragile hopes on their head and creating yet another crack in their relationship as they try to figure out what comes next. Split into two parts, the two-person first-person narrative chronicles their first year in the British capital.
“This story is an exploration of the concept of home,” says Camilli. “Is home the place where we are born, or is it a place we create for ourselves? And what happens when, once we find that place, how do we handle the friction that comes with being a foreigner? As a lifelong immigrant and UK resident, these are questions I wanted to bring to life – and I know they will resonate with many people across the UK and beyond.”
Born in Russia and raised in Sweden, Camilli has also lived in Florence, Milan, and London before arriving in Brighton in 2016. She is a previously published non-fiction author: her debut non-fiction book Vegan Style: Your Plant-Based Guide to Fashion, Beauty, Home and Travel came out on Murdoch Books in 2019, later also released on Simon & Schuster imprint Tiller Press in the US. Camilli’s written work has been published in Huffington Post, Top Santè, Plant-Based News, Species Unite, Nourish, Vegan Food and Living and more. Her work as an animal rights advocate and the founder of the world’s first digital vegan fashion magazine Vilda has been featured in Marie Claire, GLAMOUR, Grazia, VOGUE, Red and more. Camilli currently writes the Substack newsletter Kind of Wild. She lives in Brighton with her husband.
There are currently around 5 million EU migrants in the UK, with 1.3 million European residents living in London (where the novel takes place) and over 23k in Brighton, which also features in the book. 2026 research shows that the majority of UK residents believe that leaving the EU was the wrong decision.
