The Return of Diriye Osman by Paul Burston, RVT 4 March

The Return of Diriye Osman by Paul Burston

 

The late, great, black American writer James Baldwin once appeared on a well-known British television chat show.  

“You’re black, gay and Jewish,” the straight white male host reminded him. “You must have thought the odds were really stacked against you.” 

“Not at all,” Baldwin replied with a knowing grin. “I thought I’d won the jackpot.”

 

The writer Diriye Osman, who’ll be appearing at Polari at the RVT on March 4, describes himself as a black queer Muslim refugee from Somalia. Like Baldwin, Osman has a way with words and a keen sense of humour. He may not have won the jackpot, but in 2014 he did win the Polari First Book Prize. Founded in 2011, the prize is awarded annually for a debut book which explores the LGBTQ+ experience. Osman was the first person of colour to win. Since then, winners have included Saleem Haddad, Amrou Al-Kadhi and Mohsin Zaidi.

 

Osman’s prize winning book, Fairytales for Lost Children, is an astonishing collection of short stories. Published by Team Angelica, the book explores the many facets of the author’s identity through a wide cast of characters. Set in Kenya, Somalia and South London, these stories introduce us to young lesbian and gay Somalis navigating the complexities of family, identity, sexuality, mental health and the immigrant experience. Moving, powerful and often playful, they broaden our understanding of what it means to be different, displaced and fighting for survival.  

The judges were unanimous in their decision to award Osman the prize and couldn’t wait to see what he wrote next. But wait we most certainly did. It’s been 8 years since he collected his prize money. That’s a long time in publishing. But good things come to those who wait and now, finally, he’s back with a new collection, Butterfly Jungle, also from Team Angelica. These stories explore the lives of an all-queer Somali community in Peckham, South London, and fulfil all the promise of his earlier, award-winning book. The author flits from one character to the next, drawing out the inner sweetness like the butterfly of the title.

Joining Osman on March 4 are the legendary Paul Bailey, author of a thousand books (I’m exaggerating, but only slightly), who’ll be discussing his new poetry collection Joie de vivre. Completing the bill is Laura Kay, author of the smash hit lesbian rom com The Split, who’ll be treating us to a sneak preview of her forthcoming novel, Tell Me Everything. 

 

As host, I’ll be encouraging her and her fellow guests to tell us everything and more.

 

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