Derek Owusu

FROM GRANTA BEST OF YOUNG BRITISH NOVELIST AND WINNER OF THE DESMOND ELLIOT PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 2026'Disarmingly poignant' Guardian'Rare and compulsive' CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS'Unflinching' DAMON GALGUT'Wise, tender and funny' CAMILLA GRUDOVA'A true masterpiece' JASON OKUNDAYE'Glaringly fresh and true' COURTTIA NEWLAND'Full of originality and raw, pure, gutsy talent' CHRISTIE WATSONLoneliness means you don't have to disappoint anyone until you develop the habit of talking to yourselfAt nineteen, Marcus is young and in love . . . again. When his latest crush, Adwoa, starts showing him true affection, Marcus is ready to reconsider his lifestyle - the drugs, the casual encounters. At least for a little while. Now, before he knows it, Marcus is twenty-five. And history risks repeating itself. Told through two parallel narratives - one past, one present - Borderline Fiction is a highly original and deeply affecting contemporary tale of what it means to be a young black man navigating today's world.

A Quick Reads story from the author of That Reminds Me and Borderline FictionFROM GRANTA BEST OF YOUNG BRITISH NOVELIST AND WINNER OF THE DESMOND ELLIOT PRIZERay wants the perfect body. But how far is too fa? hen his training turns extreme, Ray is pulled into a dark gym culture that promises results at any cost. As his body changes, so does his mind. Watching from the side lines is his girlfriend Temi, a journalist who expresses concern but has her own secret agenda. Hunger Pains is a gripping story about obsession, control, and what happens when self-improvement becomes self-destruction. Praise for Derek Owusu:'Owusu can find humour in the bleakest places, taking you on an emotional rollercoaster and constantly challenging how you feel about a place meant to heal' Daniel Lawrence Taylor'Derek Owusu is the real deal' Keiran Goddard'Derek Owusu's writing is honest, moving, delicate, but tough. Once you lock on to his words, it is hard to break eye contact' Benjamin Zephaniah

Loneliness means you don''t have to disappoint anyone until you develop the habit of talking to yourselfAt nineteen, Marcus is young and in love . . . again. When his latest crush, Adwoa, starts showing him true affection, Marcus is ready to reconsider his lifestyle - the drugs, the casual encounters. At least for a little while.Now, before he knows it, Marcus is twenty-five. And history risks repeating itself.Told through two parallel narratives - one past, one present - Borderline Fiction is a highly original and deeply affecting contemporary tale written with an intensity of emotion and vulnerability. The novel is a close-up, sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes funny examination of what it means to be a young black man navigating today''s world.Tortured, beautiful, anxious and poetic, Borderline Fiction is a memorable glimpse into the inner world of a young man searching for an authentic way to love and be loved.