DEREK OWUSU
In his debut novel, the London author blends fiction with biography, resulting in a searing coming-of-age tale that deals with identity, heritage and mental health. A year after winning the prestigious Desmond Elliott prize, the 33-year-old – whose inspirations range from D.H. Lawrence to grime MCs – wants to continue the work he’s begun: sharing stories about Black British life that move beyond tired, two-dimensional tropes.
* This profile includes references to self-harm and suicide.
18TH CENTURY ENGLISH POET AND HYMNIST WILLIAM Cowper was a deeply troubled man. His adult life was disrupted by waves of mental illness, which resulted in delusions, suicide attempts and commital to an asylum.
In 1782, when Cowper was experiencing a bout of severe depression, his friend and muse Lady Anna Austen told him the story of the wealthy yet hapless draper, John Gilpin and his runaway horse. Gilpin was on his way to celebrate his 20th wedding anniversary at the Bell Inn, in Edmonton. His horse had other ideas and bolted off up the bridleway, carrying them both 10 miles further north than intended to the Hertfordshire town of Ware. The story inspired Cowper’s popular comic ballad – ‘The Diverting History of John Gilpin’ – and stabilised his mental health in the process.
The pub still stands, now known as The Gilpin’s Bell. It sits prominently on the faultline between the North London boroughs
