Moniza Alvi was born in Pakistan and grew up in Hertfordshire. After working for many years as a secondary school teacher in London, she is now a freelance writer and tutor. Her most recent collection, ‘At the Time of Partition’ (Bloodaxe, 2013), was a Poetry Book Society Choice and was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize.

‘Stepping’ is taken from ‘At the Time of the Partition’, with permission from the poet and the publisher.