When We Speak of Nothing

Friday Night Book Club: Read an excerpt from Olumide Popoola’s debut novel When We Speak of Nothing

The Friday Night Book Club: Exclusive excerpts from Pan Macmillan every weekend! Stay in this evening and enjoy a glass of wine with …

A flamboyant and moving debut novel: Olumide Popoola’s When We Speak of Nothing

When We Speak of Nothing tells the story of friends Karl and Abu, both 17, who live near Kings Cross. Its 2011 and racial tensions are set to explode across London. Abu is infatuated with gorgeous classmate Nalini but dares not speak to her. Meanwhile, Karl is grappling with gender identity, and becomes the target of the local ‘wannabe’ thugs just for being different.

Young and queer in London and Port Harcourt: Olumide Popoola’s debut novel When We Speak of Nothing

When We Speak of Nothing launches a powerful new voice onto the literary stage. The fluid prose, peppered with contemporary slang, captures what it means to be young and queer in London and Port Harcourt. If grime music were a novel, it would be this.