An exhilarating new novel about fathers and sons, faith and friendship from the award-winning, No.1 bestselling author of OPEN WATER

Dancing is the one thing that can solve Stephen's problems.

At Church with his family, the shimmer of Black hands raised in praise. With his band, making music speaking not just to their hardships, but their joys. Grooving with his best friend, so close their heads might touch. Dancing alone to his father's records, uncovering parts of a man he has never truly known. His youth, shame and sacrifice.

Stephen has only ever known himself in song. But what becomes of him when the music fades?

Set over the course of three summers, from South London to Ghana and back again, SMALL WORLDS is a novel about the worlds we build for ourselves. The worlds we live, dance and love within.

BIO

Caleb Azumah Nelson is a twenty-nine-year old British-Ghanaian writer and photographer living in South East London. His first novel, Open Water, won the Costa First Novel Award and Debut of the Year at the British Book Awards, and was a number-one Times bestseller. It also won the Bad Form Book of the Year Award, a Betty Trask Award and a Somerset Maugham Award, and was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize, the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award, Waterstones Book of the Year, and longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and the Desmond Elliott Prize. He was selected as a National Book Foundation '5 under 35' honoree by Brit Bennett.

REVIEWS

"Small Worlds is an emotionally astute novel that cements this 29-year-old south London author as one of the UK's best." -- New Statesman

"Caleb Azumah Nelson's stunning second novel confirms his status as a literary star" -- Observer

"Beautiful, unforgettable and all-consuming" -- Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie

"Small Worlds is a book for everyone . . . an uplifting symphony of a summer read" -- Times

[H]  Grove Press  /  July 18, 2023

 1.2" H x 9.1" L x 5.9" W (0.97 lbs) 272 pages