Over the past five years Karl Riordan and his Filipino wife, Jeni, have been forced to live thousands of miles apart by the UK government that expects him to raise £22k to ‘sponsor’ her. Taking its title from a traditional Philippine folk dance, Tinikling choreographs a complicated dance between love, racism and bureaucracy. It's a book about love, geography and learning to pick your way through the hurdles and traps of a relationship while navigating the ‘hostile environment’ of the UK immigration system.