Small Worlds

Foyles Non-Fiction Book of the Year Shortlist, 2023

An exhilarating & expansive new novel about fathers & sons, faith & friendship from National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree & Costa First Novel Award winning author Caleb Azumah Nelson

One of the most acclaimed & internationally bestselling "unforgettable" (New York Times) debuts of 2021, Caleb Azumah Nelson's London-set love story 

Open Water took the US by storm & introduced the world to a salient and insightful new voice in fiction. Now, with his second novel Small Worlds, the prodigious Azumah Nelson brings another set of enduring characters to brilliant life in his signature rhythmic, melodic prose.

Set over the course of three summers, Small Worlds follows Stephen, a first-generation Londoner born to Ghanian immigrant parents, brother to Ray, and best friend to Adeline. On the cusp of big life changes, Stephen feels pressured to follow a certain path—a university degree, a move out of home—but when he decides instead to follow his first love, music, his world & family fractures in ways he didn’t foresee. Now Stephen must find a path & peace for himself: a space he can feel beautiful, a space he can feel free. 

Moving from London, England to Accra, Ghana & back again, Small Worlds is an exquisite & intimate new novel about the people & places we hold close, from one of the most “elegant, poetic” (CNN) & important voices of a generation.

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