Award-winning author and poet Derek Owusu comes to Bristol for a special conversation about his new novel, The Recovery House.
Owusu is one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Black British literature. His writing moves between fiction, poetry, memoir and experimental prose, often exploring identity, family, mental health, masculinity, faith and the experiences of Black British men.
His debut novel, That Reminds Me, won the Desmond Elliott Prize, while his later work Losing the Plot further established his reputation for writing that challenges traditional literary forms.
In The Recovery House, Owusu tells the story of Jamal, a gifted young poet who wakes in a recovery house following a devastating breakdown.
Surrounded by nurses and other residents each carrying their own struggles, Jamal begins to observe the fragile community around him and reconsider his own relationship with creativity, faith, friendship and survival.
The novel explores what happens when language itself begins to fail and asks how people rebuild a sense of self after crisis.
Music, poetry and spirituality run throughout the story, while the recovery house becomes a place where people who might otherwise remain isolated begin to form unexpected connections.
Owusu’s work has consistently opened up conversations around Black masculinity and emotional vulnerability, presenting Black male characters with a depth and interiority that has not always been given space within mainstream British fiction.
For Black History Month audiences, this event offers an opportunity to hear directly from an important contemporary Black British writer about a novel concerned with creativity, belonging, friendship and the difficult process of rebuilding a life.
The evening includes a conversation with Derek Owusu about The Recovery House and the ideas behind the book.
The Recovery House with Derek Owusu takes place at The Small City Bookshop in Bristol on Thursday 1st October 2026 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm.
Tickets are £7, with a ticket-and-book option also available.
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