Akwaeke Emezi
A Nigerian writer known for their powerful and genre-bending novels that explore themes of identity, gender, spirituality, and the complexities of the human experience. Their works, such as Freshwater and The Death of Vivek Oji, are characterized by their lyrical prose, vivid imagery, and unflinching exploration of inner lives and cultural intersections. Emezi's unique voice has made them a significant figure in contemporary literature.
This emotional and lyrical novel begins with a body left on a Nigerian doorstep—the body of Vivek Oji. As family and friends piece together his life and death, a portrait emerges of a gentle, misunderstood soul navigating gender identity, family expectations, and queerness in a conservative society. Told with tenderness and poetic prose, The Death of Vivek Oji explores love, grief, identity, and the spaces between. It’s a poignant and powerful story about living one’s truth in a world that often refuses to see. Emezi offers a deeply human narrative full of compassion and quiet rebellion.