When Stars Are Scattered

When Stars Are Scattered was published in 2020 as a biographical graphic novel detailing the childhood of Omar Mohamed, who spent his formative years in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. The project was born from a collaboration between Omar Mohamed and author-illustrator Victoria Jamieson, who met while volunteering for programs supporting refugees. Their work seeks to bridge the gap between personal narrative and educational outreach, providing a poignant, accessible account of the realities of displacement and the resilience required to navigate life in a camp environment.

The book’s design utilizes a distinctive color palette and expressive, hand-drawn panels characteristic of Jamieson’s illustrative style to render complex emotional experiences approachable for young adult readers. Upon its release, it received widespread critical acclaim, including a nomination for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. The work is noted for its sensitive handling of themes such as brotherhood, education, and the protracted wait for resettlement, grounding the global refugee crisis in the intimate, specific lived experience of the Somali Bantu community.