Losing the Plot

A vital and honest book exploring the pain of the immigrant experience and the turmoil it can carry across generations, from the winner of the Desmond Elliott Prize

DEREK OWUSU NAMED GRANTA’S BEST OF YOUNG BRITISH NOVELISTS 2023 LONGLISTED FOR THE JHALAK PRIZE 2023 LONGLISTED FOR THE DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 2023 SHORTLISTED FOR PEOPLE’S BOOK PRIZE - FICTION 2023 LONGLISTED FOR THE DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS 2023

“Masterful … This novel is a reflection of a son attempting to embrace the entirety of his mother – all her vulnerability, spikiness and unknowability. And Owusu does so with extraordinary compassion” MICHAEL DONKOR _I_

“A love letter – sometimes dense, often moving – written by a son to his mother” _Guardian_

“A highly enigmatic, affectionate and robustly written portrayal of a mother-son relationship … very relatable” DIANA EVANS

“Owusu is one of the most original writers today” STEFAN TOBLER

“Owusu’s prose is fragmentary and lucid … _Losing the Plot_ is a masterclass in distilled writing and a stirring ode to motherhood” _Irish Times_

Told through the eyes of both mother and son, _Losing the Plot_ is at once emotionally raw and playful as Owusu experiments with form to piece together the immigrant experience and explore how the stories we share and tell ourselves are just as vital as the ones we don’t.