The Aquatics
Osvalde Lewat author Maren Baudet-Lackner translator
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Cassava Republic Press
Publishing:18th Jun '26
£14.99
This title is due to be published on 18th June, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
In the fictional African state of Zambuena, Katme lives a life of privilege as the wife of a rising political figure. Her days are governed by appearances, loyalty and restraint, until her carefully ordered world begins to fracture.
Her closest confidant is Samy, a struggling artist whose work dares to expose the inequalities, repression and violence that underpin the regime. When his new exhibition draws the attention of the authorities, Samy's life is placed in immediate danger. Homosexuality is criminalised, dissent is punished, and silence is expected. As political pressure mounts, Katme is forced to confront the cost of her comfort and the limits of her complicity.
The Aquatics is a powerful, unsettling novel about friendship and betrayal, state violence and moral responsibility, written with the intensity and precision of an author deeply attuned to how power operates.
'Lewat pulls no punches in her depiction of virulent hatred toward queer people... This one hits hard.' - Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
'The Aquatics is ultimately about the lies we are willing to tell ourselves.' - Chicago Review of Books
'Lewat has created a memorable character who alternates between moments of weakness and strength in a way that feels thoroughly human. She addresses themes of political corruption and homophobia with an incandescent anger... A promising first book from a writer to watch.' - Kirkus
'The Aquatics morphs quite quickly from satire to horror.' - The Continent
'Lewat's prose captures beauty and brutality while examining social constraints, corruption, and what it means to live truthfully.' - Laura Chanoux, Booklist
'With brilliant craft and courage, Osvalde Lewat's stunning novel confronts the urgent questions shaping contemporary African societies: social taboos and political corruption, friendship and family loyalty, women's submission and rebellion...A fierce and unflinching work that establishes a dazzling new literary voice.' - Fatin Abbas, author of Ghost Season
- Winner of French Academy Literature Prize 2022
- Winner of Kourouma Prize 2022
- Winner of Pan-African Prize for Literature 2022
ISBN: 9781913175764
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
368 pages