‘The Death of Vivek Oji’ by Akwaeke Emezi

Maybe, we were all pretending to be fine because the world gave us no other option.

Vivek is dead. And no one seems to know what happened.

‘The Death of Vivek Oji’ by Akwaeke Emezi is set in Nigeria and tells the story of Vivek’s life and death through a chorus of voices—family, friends, lovers. It is a story about gender identity, queerness, friendship, community, and the constraints of silence and shame.

Vivek’s family and friends are drowning in grief and guilt. And when Vivek’s mother, Kavita, finds her dead child on her doorstep, she does everything she can to find out what happened. What unfolds is a tender and painful journey through love, loss, and the struggle to live authentically in a society that punishes difference.

CW: queerphobia, transphobia and gender-based violence, domestic abuse and controlling family dynamics, grief and loss, murder and violence, outing, mental health struggles