Derek Owusu’s cultural highlights

Derek Owusu is a writer from North London. He has published seven books and was named one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists.

Novel: Beloved (1987) by Toni Morrison

I was first introduced to Toni Morrison in uni, through her second novel Sula. I found the book difficult and frustrating, and I remember constantly having a headache while I was reading it, struggling to parse the prose. A bad introduction, so I let her go for 15 years. Until finally, having decided to make my way through the oeuvre of every Nobel laureate, I picked up Beloved. And wow. A perfect novel, with prose so tight with life a touch would cause it to burst with poetry; imagery that will never leave me, that will always haunt my own writing, and a compassion for her characters that is so rare in literary fiction these days. I read it twice in two weeks and am already eager to read it again.

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/354913/beloved-by-morrison-toni/9780099511656

TV series: Breaking Bad (2008-2013)

I tend to watch films and TV shows much later than most people, usually because I don’t want the hype to interfere with how I experience the work. And I’m glad I did this for Breaking Bad. The first season is slow, often comical in the choices made by the main characters, but by season 3, you’re completely engaged, and the in-world logic no longer takes you out of the narrative. And though I loved it by the end, the final season and last episode felt as though, backed into a corner, the creators had to include characters that would give us an excuse to root for Walter White. And as for Jessie, his end was so unsatisfying there had to be a movie to correct it.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903747/

Place: Tottenham

I grew up on the Broadwater Farm estate, then lived around Seven Sisters for a few years. Since moving to Edmonton, I rarely find myself in Tottenham, but recently decided to go for a night walk along the High Road, through the side streets that lead to Tottenham Hale, and then down along Seven Sisters. And I was genuinely surprised by how much the diversity seemed to have remained, or even increased, since I lived there. There was so much energy on display, life-giving air! Tottenham has always been filled with different cultures (standing on Bruce Grove on a busy morning in the early 2000s you were likely to hear more than 20 different languages being spoken), but because of recent gentrification efforts, I thought this would no longer be the case. But from hipsterish bars by Tottenham Hale, to Colombian food spots at Seven Sisters, so much life was on display and it’s a walk I’m determined to take more often.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Sisters_Market

Music: Sam Cooke – Portrait of a Legend (1951-1964)

Discovering this album was one of the highlights of my year. I stumbled upon it after hearing ‘Wonderful World’ on Magic FM, actually paying attention to the song and lyrics (I’m certain I’d heard it before as background music but never took notice). Cooke’s emotional and straining voice, often conversational in cadence, has consistently lifted my mood, when I’m sure my sorrows would rather soak into my bedsheet. It has given me those strength-boosting chills in the gym, prepared me for mornings, and taken me back to times when raw emotions seemed to be all the world could offer me.

https://open.spotify.com/album/0oTTjsFeHYunInQieE1U3n

Game: Expedition 33 (2025)

I would not call myself a gamer – I usually play 15 new games per year, very lightweight in the gaming world. But I have racked up almost 150 hours playing Expedition 33, an independent game from the French developer Sandfall Interactive. You are immediately immersed in the story and mystery of The Paintress before the game’s main adventure begins. The life of Lumière, the home of the main playable cast, is brought to life with incredible voice acting, popping colour palette, artistic building and character designs, obscure side character conversations that drip with subtext and in-game lore. We’re immediately invested in a short love story, one rendered with such delicacy and compassion that it’s difficult not to become emotional when it concludes. The battle mechanics are addictive, with precise timing important for parrying attacks, and stacking abilities essential for making the most of character. Expedition 33 is easily one of the best games I’ve ever played, and I’ll probably continue playing it for as long as I have a Playstation.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32591698/

Favourite WritersMosaic feature: Fiction Prescriptions 

I love ‘Fiction Prescriptions’ with Ella Berthoud and Isabelle Dupuy and the idea behind it. It’s erudite but fun, charming and very comforting. The book recommendations are always great, picked with care, and the conversation carries you along as if you were part of the discussion.

https://writersmosaic.org.uk/category/limited-series/fiction-prescriptions/

Derek Owusu

Derek Owusu is an award-winning writer and poet from North London.