Borderline Fiction
Derek Owusu
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From the publisher
FROM GRANTA BEST OF YOUNG BRITISH NOVELIST AND WINNER OF THE DESMOND ELLIOT PRIZE
LONGLISTED FOR THE DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 2026
'Glaringly fresh and true' COURTTIA NEWLAND
'Full of originality and raw, pure, gutsy talent' CHRISTIE WATSON
'Masterful' TROY ONYANGO
Loneliness means you don't have to disappoint anyone until you develop the habit of talking to yourself
At 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.