Borderline Fiction by Derek Owusu

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 of what it means to be a young black man navigating today's world.

Author: Derek Owusu

Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)

Published on 21 May 2026 by Canongate Books in the United Kingdom.

Paperback / softback | 304 pages
204 x 135 | 212g