Quote by Akwaeke Emezi: “The body is just a house. It's not who you are.”

This profound quote separates one's true identity from their physical form, suggesting that our essence exists beyond the body. It implies that identity is a deeper, spiritual, or internal concept, not limited by appearance.

Amidst global conversations on gender identity, trans rights, and body autonomy, this novel offered a powerful narrative exploring selfhood and acceptance beyond societal norms.

Nigerian-Tamil author whose debut novel Freshwater drew on Igbo spiritual traditions to tell the story of a person who contains multiple selves. Their work, including Pet and The Death of Vivek Oji, has won numerous awards and reshaped conversations about queerness and selfhood in African literature.