When We Speak of Nothing’, Olumide Popoola’s debut novel

‘When We Speak of Nothing‘, a novel by London-based Nigerian-German author, Olumide Popoola and published by Cassava Republic Press, is now available for purchase in Nigeria after the book’s massive success in Europe.

With its initial release in London in July 2017, the novel was described by Elle Magazine as a “smart novel with electric prose that tells us what it means to be young, black and queer in London,” while award-winning British novelist, Diana Evans, writing for the Financial Times, noted that ‘When We Speak of Nothing’ is “a satisfying and perceptive examination of the emergence of the whole person against the odds posed by a constricting society.”

Peppered with modern slang, Popoola’s debut novel is a fast-paced narrative, that takes a deep look into the lives of the book’s lead characters in Port Harcourt and London, examining their struggles, identity and experiences as they navigate through their lives while pointing out social issues such as the Niger Delta ecocide and racial tensions in London.

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It follows the lives of best friends, Karl and Abu, two black London-born seventeen-year old boys who are navigating through the last years of their teen, discovering and learning about themselves and the world around them. Although the book’s entire length takes place within a short period of time, it however, offers readers a critical look into the individual lives of the boys as they both find their paths in different locations while still trying to maintain a friendship that is fast unraveling. 

When We Speak of Nothing is a gripping, well-told story that shows the intricacies of friendship, acceptance and dealing with gender identity and difference, including the dilemmas faced by teenagers on the brink of adulthood. It is by all standards, a beautiful story.