Artist and fiction writer Eloghosa Osunde released a debut novel-in-stories, “Vagabonds’ which traces a wild array of characters for whom life itself is a form of resistance. Osunde’s protagonists confront and support one another as they flee danger, connect with secret lovers, discover their identities, or battle their shadow selves before coming together for the once-in-a-lifetime gathering that gives the book its surprisingly joyous conclusion.
Eloghosa Osunde is a Nigerian writer and multidisciplinary artist who has left their mark very visibly in
the art space all around the world ranging from books to exhibitions and publications going all the way
back to 2016 as an alumni for the rele young contemporary program. Their short stories have been
published in Catapult, Guernica, Berlin Quarterly and The Paris Review where she has a column, and her
visual art exhibited across four continents so far. She is the winner of the 2021 Paris Review Plimpton
Prize for Fiction, as well as an ASME Award for fiction.
Her recent book “Vagabonds” Was a finalist for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize and longlisted for
the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and even though it did wasn’t the overall winner, it surely did
succeed in raising attention and turning head in it’s direction.The Waterstone bookshop is a british
retail firm and each year, they organize an art award that recognizes outstanding literary works by
Author’s and writers. As one of the shortlisted books for this year’s award became Eloghosa’s,
Vagabonds!.
Eloghosa Osunde’s novel, Vagabonds!, is a daring and imaginative exploration of the lives of those who
exist on the fringes of society in Nigeria. These individuals, known as vagabonds, include the queer,
displaced, footloose, and rogue spirits who inhabit transient spaces and move invisibly through the city.
Through a variety of characters, such as a driver with the power to command life and death, a legendary
fashion designer who gives birth to a grown daughter, a lesbian couple with experience in underground
sex work, and a transgender woman and her parent, Osunde weaves a tapestry of resistance, identity,
and alternative realities. The vagabonds’ lives intersect in bustling markets, underground clubs,
churches, and hotel rooms, where they are challenged and supported by spirits who command the city’s
dark energy. Blending myth, fantasy, and unvarnished realism, Vagabonds! Is a powerful and vital work
that takes readers deep inside the hearts, minds, and bodies of a people in duress and in triumph.
This book that was placed in this truly global shortlist which broadens horizons and challenges genre.
United by a generous capacity to find hope, light, and community in the unlikeliest places, they are all
timely and important by writers of staggering ambition and talent. Featuring authors like Tess Gunty
with her book “The rabbit hutch” which was also the winner of the award and also sequiola Nagamatsu
with his work “How high we go in the dark”.The Water Stone Foundation is a non-profit organization
that promotes literature from the African continent. Each year, they organize an art award that
recognizes outstanding literary works by African writers. One of the shortlisted books for this year’s
award is “We Need New Names” by NoViolet Bulawayo.
Eloghosa Osunde’s “Vagabond!” is a compelling novel that has rightfully earned its place on the final list of the Waterstone Bookstore Fictional Art Award. Through vivid and poetic language, Osunde masterfully portrays the complexities of the human experience, touching on themes of identity, love, loss, and self-discovery. The novel’s protagonist, Agha, is a deeply relatable character whose journey of self-discovery takes readers on a poignant and emotional rollercoaster. Osunde’s skillful storytelling and their use of unconventional narrative structures create a unique and memorable reading experience. “Vagabond!” is a testament to the power of literature to move, inspire, and challenge us, and it is sure to captivate readers for years to come.
Eloghosa Osunde’s is a talented writer with a unique voice and perspective, and her work is an
important contribution to the African literary canon. Whether or not she wins the Water Stone
Foundation art award, her novel is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers around the world.
