Losing the Plot

DEREK OWUSU NAMED GRANTA’S BEST OF YOUNG BRITISH NOVELISTS 2023LONGLISTED 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


‘A highly enigmatic, affectionate and robustly written portrayal of a mother-son relationship . . . very relatable’ – Diana Evans


Driven by a deep-seated desire to understand his mother’s life before he was born, Derek Owusu offers a powerful imagining of her journey. As she moves from Ghana to the UK and navigates parenthood in a strange and often lonely environment, the effects of her displacement are felt across generations.


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.

Format: Paperback
Pages: 160
Imprint: Canongate UK
Publication date: 23/01/2024