Eloghosa Osunde is set to challenge conventional storytelling with their upcoming novel “Necessary Fiction,” slated for release on July 22, 2025, by Riverhead Books, per people.com.
Emerging from the vibrant cultural landscape of Lagos, Nigeria, Osunde’s novel promises an intimate exploration of queer, non-binary, trans and poly characters navigating complex social terrains. The book, expanding on Osunde’s award-winning short story “Good Boy,” delves deep into the intricate dynamics of chosen families and personal transformation.
“I wrote this book as a way of answering heavy questions I’d been carrying in my body for years,” Osunde reveals. The novel offers what the author describes as “a talisman for anyone who touches it.”
Drawing from personal experiences, Osunde challenges traditional notions of belonging, authority and success. The work interrogates how individuals can create alternative worlds when existing structures fail to accommodate their authentic selves.
•’Necessary Fiction’ by Eloghosa Osunde/Riverhead Books“It is always the right time to think about how free we want to be,” Osunde emphasises, highlighting the novel’s timely exploration of love, identity and personal agency.
Following the critical success of their debut novel Vagabonds!, which was longlisted for prestigious literary awards, Osunde continues to push boundaries with “Necessary Fiction,” which promises to be a powerful meditation on survival, courage and the transformative power of storytelling.
Readers can preorder the novel now.
•Featured image:Eloghosa Osunde/Saba Kingsley
