In Necessary Fiction, Eloghosa Osunde introduces us to a cast of charismatic and entirely unique characters. Through them, Osunde unravels the tender corners of humanity, and asks us who we are when we are around the people who matter most. What I was most impressed by was the book’s startling honesty. Osunde explores the relationships between partners, friends, lovers, even between religious parents and their queer children. Their writing is simple, evocative, and deeply moving. Their characterisation is unparalleled, and I am sure that I will be thinking of these characters, especially Maro, for a very long time. Necessary Fiction is essential reading: I have found a new ‘go-to’ book that I will be gifting to every reader I know.
Necessary Fiction
By: Eloghosa Osunde
Reviewed by Riley Herbert-Henry
in September 2026
‘Necessary Fiction’, by Eloghosa Osunde, is a defiant and joyous exploration of queerness in Nigeria, and all the forms it can take.
Published: 2025
Publisher: Fourth Estate
ISBN: 9780008708627