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Acknowledgements

We write a few days into an apparent ‘lockdown’ in the city of London, as the government attempts to mitigate the effects of the global pandemic. One third of the world’s population is now effectively quarantined to some degree. As the effects of ten years of cuts to the National Health Service are now revealing the true cost of austerity for society in its entirety, it is imperative to insist on a vision of healthcare as a universal social good, not as a marketised commodity that has to be re-nationalised in order to effectively cope with intense stress. We have seen increased racist attacks on Asian people in the weeks preceding the lockdown, the hoarding of basic necessities by individuals, sweeping emergency powers being brought swiftly into force; we are at the same time, also witnessing the ability of the government, with the stroke of a pen seemingly, to provide unprecedented amounts of financial support for workers who will be unable to earn a living during these months, and to re-nationalise various elements of the national transport network. Our employers will for the first time it seems, be forced to confront the inconvenient fact of socially reproductive labour as they grapple with how those of us who are able to, will continue to ‘work from home’. Mutual aid networks are springing up everywhere, as people try to support one another in their local communities, particularly the most vulnerable. Extraordinary times, deeply unsettling, and perhaps a moment when we can continue to think, alone and together, about how to radically transform what we value and how we value those things; how we want to organise healthcare, work, the care of children and the elderly, food security. We hope that as the crisis subsides, whenever that is, that we find the collective will and desire not to continue ‘as usual’ in the aftermath of this pandemic.

This project, which has stretched over more than a few years, has reached fruition due to the generosity of many people. First and foremost are the interviewees, who generously and patiently agreed to collaborate with us. Their work has long been an inspiration to both of us and so many others. We are deeply grateful to Lisa Lowe for writing the afterword, opening up new horizons to consider as we complete this project. We would also like to thank our editor at Verso, Rosie Warren, for her support and encouragement. Sam Smith did a wonderful and meticulous copy edit for which we are thankful. We are grateful to Rashmi Varma for her thoughtful and constructive feedback on the introduction. We would like to acknowledge the support of SOAS, University of London for allocating transcription funds. Brenna would like to thank all of her feminist friends, and particularly on this occasion Haneen Naamnih, who regularly prompts her to question things taken for granted. She gives heartfelt thanks to Alberto Toscano, for discussing each and every aspect of this project over a lengthy period of time with great care, enthusiasm and insight. Rafeef thanks her family for their love and support, Laleh Khalili who continues to be a brilliant friend and mentor, and Adam Hanieh for his unfailing support and encouragement for this project.