Born in London in 1988, Derek Owusu is a poet, writer and one of the founding members of the Black Writers’ Guild. Between 2017 and 2019, he co-hosted literature podcast Mostly Lit and edited the anthology Safe: On Black British Men Reclaiming Space. In 2019, he published his debut novel, That Reminds Me, on Stormzy’s #Merky publishing imprint. The book won the 2020 Desmond Elliott prize, with judges describing it as a “transcendent work of literature”. His second novel, Losing the Plot, is published by Canongate on Thursday.
1. Restaurant
Plum Valley, London
I first came across the Chinese restaurant Plum Valley while strolling through Leicester Square, starving to the point of uncertainty. Many of the restaurants in Chinatown are inviting, but one host, seeing me rubbing my stomach, spoke to me rather than trying to sell to me and went through the options of dim sum. I chose the basics, har gow and siu mai. My stomach relaxed and my palate was changed. It’s seen me every other weekend since.
2. TV
I have watched every Marvel Cinematic Universe project since it launched in 2008. And, like many fans, I have been disappointed with phase four. But, for me, Moon Knight is the standout, likely because of the convincing and moving performance of Oscar Isaac and the pitch-perfect voice acting of F Murray Abraham. I have rewatched the series four times and always find something else I enjoy about it, from the soundtrack to the stunning cinematography, to the sensitive depiction of mental health collapse and denial.
3. Nonfiction
The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman
For me, Chuck Klosterman is one of the most interesting nonfiction writers about, always informative and skilfully putting his own unique spin on pop culture. The Nineties is a book about that decade, with Klosterman picking out what he believes to be the most defining moments of the era, from the popularisation of grunge to the allure of Bill Clinton, from Biggie and Tupac to postmodernist literature. It asks us what we remember and then tells us: no, you’re wrong, preparing us for a long conversation at the bar.
4. Album
I’m not a regular listener of albums, probably only having played around 20 since I started independently listening to music at the age of 14. With Beyoncé, I’ve listened to many individual songs, until Renaissance. After seeing so many tweets about the cohesion of the album, I decided to let it run through during a gym session, one in which I was experiencing a low mood. A perfect explanation of it is: “good vibes”. It not only lifted my spirit but helped raise more bars than I expected. Favourite song? Alien Superstar, of course.
5. Film
Not many time-travel movies get it right, often because they wrap themselves up in questions of logic and theoretical physics. Palm Springs, continuing the tradition of Groundhog Day, takes time travel and has fun with it, never wasting time to explain beyond the obvious issue of a repeating day. Though at its core I believe it is an interrogation of nihilism, it does so without heavy philosophical burdens and would rather focus on love, drugs, beers and a never-ending wedding party.
6. Fiction
Embarrassingly, I was not aware of Percival Everett until 2018, when my friend and mentor Courttia Newland suggested I look into his back catalogue. The Trees is the most recent book of his I read, shortlisted for the Booker prize 2022, and one of the best. Tears of laughter quickly become tears of grief and anger, perfectly balanced so that the transition feels human and not contrived. A quick read with perfectly observed dialogue, a fusion of genres and an unflinching look at the horrors people are capable of.
