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Reading lists

The best books about friendships

12 debut fiction authors of 2022, their portraits arranged in a checker pattern.

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The best debut fiction to read this spring

A collage of author headshots, seen against a colourful pink and green pattern.

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Interviews

The Penguin Podcast meets 5 of the biggest debuts novelists of 2022

Three friends, three ‘perfect’ lives. Here Comes Trouble

Wahala

SOON TO BE A MAJOR BBC TV SERIES 
 
'"WAHALA" means trouble and there's plenty of it' GUARDIAN 
'Full of food, humour and pitch-perfect observation' STYLIST 
'All the ride-or-die realness of female friendship' RED MAGAZINE 
 
Three friends. 
Three 'perfect' lives (or so they pretend). 
Here comes Trouble 
 
Ronke wants Happily Ever After and 2.2. kids. She's dating Kayode and wants him to be 'the one'. Her friends think he's just another in a long line of dodgy Nigerian boyfriends. 
 
Boo has just what Ronke wants - a kind husband, a gorgeous child. But she's frustrated, unfulfilled, and desperate to remember who she used to be. 
 
Simi is the golden one with the perfect lifestyle and a career. No one knows she's crippled by impostor syndrome and tempted to pack it all in each time her boss mentions her 'urban vibe.' Her husband thinks they're trying for a baby. She's not. 
 
When the high-flying, charismatic Isobel explodes into the group, she seems to bring out the best in each woman. But the more Isobel intervenes, the more chaos she sows, until Ronke, Simi, and Boo's lifelong friendship begins to crack. How close to the edge will she push them? 
 
 
READERS ARE OBSESSED WITH WAHALA 
 
'This book is absolute fire. I could not put it down. Fantastically written, the story is so engaging and tense. Sexy, dark, addictive. What an incredible novel' ***** Reader review 
 
'Dark and addictive with a surprising twist (that i won't give away!) and Nikki's writing is completely flawless' ***** 
 
'I couldn't believe it was a debut. I couldn't put it down. Nikki May has written a fantastic story of friendship, revenge and jealousy' ***** 
 
'Wonderful characters with plenty of rich and vibrant detail of their shared culture from hair to food' ***** 
 
WINNER OF THE COMEDY WOMEN IN PRINT NEWCOMER AWARD 
LONGLISTED FOR THE GOLDSBORO BOOKS GLASS BELL and the DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS

Refreshing and original. Portrays a London steeped in the colours and sounds of Lagos

SUNDAY TIMES, Best popular fiction books of 2022 so far

Full of food, humour and pitch-perfect observation

STYLIST MAGAZINE, Books you cannot miss in 2022

All the ride or die realness of female friendship is captured perfectly in this funny, multi-layered, just-another-chapter-before-you-turn-out-the-light novel.

This is the book on everyone's lips...a razor-sharp book about friendship that will have you on the edge of your seat. With a cast of engaging characters, this bold tale of friendship, race and love will leave you marvelling at this fresh new voice in fiction. One of 2022's most exciting debuts

It's surprising, it's fun, it's incredibly funny and will give you characters you'll take to your heart in all their flawed glory, keeping you hooked to the very last page

Beautifully written and fabulously fresh debut. It's sad, funny, clever and contains important messages. Utterly addictive and my hands-down favourite this week

I have a feeling this book is going to be huge! It examines friendships that are held together by the thinnest of threads, all the doubts and questions that come from the choices women face, self-destruction, good intentions, bad intentions and a creeping sense of... well, trouble

MARIANNE CRONIN, author of THE ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF LENNI AND MARGOT

A gloriously biting story of secrets and friendships

''Wahala' means 'trouble' and there's plenty of it in this entertaining debut. A fascinating, funny and nuanced look at identity and female friendship

Has all the makings of a modern blockbuster

Pull up a seat at the brunch table for this delicious debut novel as the lives of three women are unsettled by a seductive interloper. WAHALA is like the best gossip with friends: witty, tense, addictive

A fun and juicy read with a dash of drama, just like all the best friendships

I just raced through Wahala. Nikki May writes so well about friendship, food, fashion and the many ways modern women can stumble in their careers and personal lives

CLARE CHAMBERS, author of SMALL PLEASURES

Wow, what a debut! I was left wanting more - more of Ronke, Boo and Simi and more of Nikki's brilliant writing about food and friendship. Warm and fun, I loved watching the more sinister side to the story emerge. Fantastic!

A funny, tragic, piercing portrait of modern women and friendship written in glittering and discerning prose

WAHALA delivers! Nikki's style is warm and comforting on one page and razor-sharp on the next. There's a twist folks, and it's not one I saw coming.

LIZZY DENT, author of THE SUMMER JOB and THE SET-UP

Sometimes it's not enough to just read a novel, you actually want to climb inside it. I adored hanging out with Ronke, Boo and Simi and I miss them already.

CLARE POOLEY, author of THE AUTHENTICITY PROJECT

Bold, juicy and real! WAHALA is tense and powerful, it's friendship at its best and its worst, and it's THE book to read this year!

Sharp, precise, unapologetic, modern. In one word, Exquisite!

Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström, author of IN EVERY MIRROR SHE'S BLACK

Dazzling and bursting with life. WAHALA is as joyous, complex and all-encompassing as female friendship itself. I loved it.

LOVED Wahala. Funny and sharp - I completely fell in love with the characters. Definitely one to add to your list

Dark, fresh, compelling - all about female friendship and with an outstanding cast of vibrant loveable (and not-so-loveable) characters

Fast-paced and filled with witty dialogue, and the book explores the depth and complexity of friendships between women

INDEPENDENT: 10 BEST BOOKS BY BLACK AUTHORS

I LOVED this absolute cracker of a book about the cuckoo in the next and a toxic female friendship. Highly recommended

LIZ NUGENT, author of LYING IN WAIT and OUR LITTLE CRUELTIES

I loved hanging out with Ronke, Simi and Boo. A brilliant portrayal of how complicated friendships can sometimes be

This story draws you in and spits you out, breathless. Echoes of Atwood's The Robber Bride but so its own thing. A treat.

A heady mix of friendship, dark comedy and murder. WAHALA is razor-sharp

May's nuanced exploration of race and gender makes this refreshing. This will leave readers intrigued to see what May does next

WAHALA hooked me from page one and kept me enthralled till the (TWIST!) end. A riot of colour and noise, friendships, enemies, secrets, lies and soul food. Written with a lightness of touch. Insightful, clever, and honest. I will read anything and everything she writes

This gripping debut is a journey of friendship, revenge and finding your true self

Nikki May builds a propulsive reading experience as she slowly reveals Isobel's manipulations while keeping the reasons behind them hidden. Compelling character studies of each of the women don't shy away from the jealousies and judgements that sometimes make the line between friend and enemy razor thin...A fascinating look at the dark side of female friendship

This will satisfy hungry appetites and blow your thriller taste buds. Deliciously spicy

Nikki May's sharp and funny debut novel is a delight on many levels. WAHALA bursts with life from start to finish

May seamlessly weaves love, betrayal, self-reflection, and Nigerian food, clothing, and customs into this fast-paced debut...Fans of domestic suspense will revel in this tale of friendship, family, and forgiveness, set in the cultural milieu of Lagos

WAHALA combines a frank and daring exploration of modern female friendship with a dark, punchy thriller

May's skill for weaving together entertaining personal problems with a wistfulness for Nigerian food, customs and culture is unparalleled. WAHALA is hard to put down - an energetic, entertaining interrogation of a fundamentally flawed friendship

SUNDAY TIMES, Best Popular Fiction of 2022

Contemporary female friendship goes glam in this lively debut novel with remarkable depth

I would definitely recommend this book to friends. I already have!

Sharply observed ... sophisticated and culturally adept ... May is a masterful chronicler of Black upper-middle-class lie and ennui in Britain. WAHALA is both great fun and extremely smart in how it captures some of the central issues in modern city living: women's evolving roles in home and work, interracial relationships and multicultural identity, the current competition that runs through so many friendships and daily interactions and, most of all, how easily intimacy can morph into enmity

A dazzling, rich and efferverscent read. It's relevant and full of life. The killer edge was unexpectedly shocking. Just fantastic in every way

Spicy as Aunty K's moin moin, satisfying as a plate of Ronke's jollof rice

Pacy, fun and gripping ... May wanted to write "a brown Sex and the City, or a brown Big Little Lies" - we reckon WAHALA could be just as big

Like "Sex and the City" but set in London. And with mystery. And murder

The upshot is a funny, slightly murdery story about three women and their wahala, or "trouble" - their boyfriends, their professional aspirations, and their weaves

The novel's strength lies in May's attention to her main character's identities. May's breezy prose is well-suited to these moments of casual intimacy, unfolding over drinks, at the hairdresser's or at the kitchen table, where all the best gossip takes place

Some of the smartest reading fun I've had all year

Nikki May

A wonderfully nostalgic and moving novel about family, identity and belonging . . . This decades-spanning story is a compelling tour de force.

A spirited modern retelling of Mansfield Park set in Lagos and Somerset . . . Page-turning and cinematic

[A] warm, engaging retelling of Mansfield Park . . . a novel that celebrates the transformative power of friendship, love and home

A clever, fresh retelling of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, focusing on identity and family

Utterly captivating - this book is beautiful, bold and addictive. I could read Nikki May’s words forever. I felt bereft when I got to the end; I didn’t want to leave Funke and Liv. This novel crackles with electricity and pulses with love. For me, May is a must-read author, and I think this is a book that readers will be falling in love with for years to come. She’s one of the absolute best storytellers writing right now.

A spirited exploration of culture and kinship--of how we belong, and to whom

BONNIE GARMUS, author of LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY

A gripping and poignant family saga that illuminates the lasting bond between two extraordinary cousins. I was completely immersed in this entrancing story

NITA PROSE, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE MAID and THE MYSTERY GUEST

A proper, epic, family saga. The tale of Liv and Funke was utterly absorbing and I was obsessed. Nikki has written a classic. I loved it.

JO CALLAGHAN, author of IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE

THIS MOTHERLESS LAND takes Nikki May's writing to new heights. It's a novel about so many things - identity, belonging and acceptance; sisterhood, family and forgiveness - all wrapped up in the most compulsive and moving story. Funke and Liv gripped me from the start and didn't let go - their bond proves, across continents and decades, through adversity, prejudices and sacrifice, that love has the power to save a life again and again. Deeply emotional and wildly entertaining, this is a novel to treasure

Moving, funny, warm and epic; a truly beautiful exploration of family and belonging. It’s exceptional.

At the core of it, This Motherless Land is a love story (not the romantic kind) between Liv and Funke, the cousins that life showed real pepper but they came out winning. Nikki May writes with the intent to tug at the heartstrings and she does exactly that with this book

Utter perfection from start to finish, This Motherless Land broke my heart then put it back together.

Stunning. Beautiful. Instantly absorbing storytelling woven through with so much truth about family, childhood, culture and belonging.

A fierce and evocative retelling of Mansfield Park. Funke and Liv are cousins, united (and torn apart) by tragedy and neglect, finding their place in the world. It's a vivid, moving and epic family saga

A stunning new novel! A true delight of a story — beautiful and extremely enjoyable. A worthy follow-up to Wahala

DIPO FALOYIN, author of AFRICA IS NOT A COUNTRY

Fresh and fearless, THIS MOTHERLESS LAND kept me furiously turning the pages late into the night. This ambitious, richly textured novel effortlessly explores family, culture, class and love, and cements May’s position as a bold and powerful new voice. Her prose is as vibrant as her plotting - superb.

Brilliantly observant, funny, moving and addictive read. I loved it

This Motherless Land is completely brilliant. Exploring questions around home, family, love and community, it is a compulsive re-imagining of Mansfield Park, told by the most wonderful, authentic characters. I loved it.

JENNIE GODFREY, author of THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS

A clever, modern retelling of Mansfield Park about grief and survival

A smart, modern reimagining of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park

I fell in love with this re-telling of Mansfield Park . . . It is wonderful - a triumphant story of sisterhood, friendship, love, and finding your true self.

This Motherless Land is an unmissable novel about identity, prejudice, sisterhood and grief

This clever novel offers both a riveting storyline and deep commentary on cultural difference and the impact of family history

SHORTLISTED FOR THE NIGERIA BOOK PRIZE 2025 
A READ WITH JENNA PICK! 
 
From the prize-winning author of WAHALA, a powerful de-colonial re-imagining of MANSFIELD PARK, exploring identity, culture, race and love 
 
'A spirited exploration of culture and kinship' BONNIE GARMUS 
'Deeply emotional and entertaining' EMMA STONEX, author of The Lamplighters 
'Tugs at the heartstrings' DAMILARE KUKU, author of Nearly all the Men in Lagos are Mad 
'Told by wonderful, authentic characters. I loved it' JENNIE GODFREY, author of The List of Suspicious Things 
______________ 
When Funke’s mother dies in an accident in Lagos, she’s sent to live with her maternal family in England. Against a backdrop of condescension and mild neglect, sensible Funke strives to fit in, determined to become one of them. 
 
Free-spirited Liv has always wanted to break free of her joyless family, to be nothing like them. Fiercely protective of Funke, she at last has an ally. The two cousins give each other what they need most: love. 
 
But the past casts long shadows and the choices made by their mothers haunt them, shaping the trajectory of their adult lives. Can they escape their legacy? 
 
Witty, warm, hugely entertaining, This Motherless Land bridges three decades and two continents, delving into the thorny territories of race and culture and belonging. At its heart is a story about love and how it can make the difference between surviving and thriving. 
 
Praise for This Motherless Land: 
 
'A fierce and evocative retelling of Mansfield Park' BETH MORREY 
 
'Utter perfection from start to finish, This Motherless Land broke my heart then put it back together.' LAURA MARSHALL, author of Friend Request 
 
'A spirited exploration of culture and kinship--of how we belong, and to whom' BONNIE GARMUS 
 
'A fantastic book. Highly original' LIZ NUGENT, author of Strange Sally Diamond 
 
'Proves that love has the power to save a life again and again. A novel to treasure' EMMA STONEX, author of The Lamplighters 
 
'Brilliantly observant, funny, moving and addictive read. I loved it' KATE SAWYER 
 
'A vibrant coming-of-age story that explores love, longing and belonging in a multi-cultural family' CHARMAINE WILKERSON, bestselling author of Black Cake 
 
'Gripping and poignant' NITA PROSE, bestselling author of The Maid 
 
'Beautiful, bold and addictive' DAISY BUCHANAN 
 
'Completely brilliant. A compulsive re-telling of Mansfield Park, exploring home, family, love and community' JENNIE GODFREY, author of The List of Suspicious Things 
 
'A proper, epic, family saga . . . I was obsessed. Nikki has written a classic' JO CALLAGHAN, author of In the Blink of an Eye

Nikki May

Books by Nikki May

Articles featuring Nikki May

The best books about friendships

The best debut fiction to read this spring

The Penguin Podcast meets 5 of the biggest debuts novelists of 2022

Videos

"I wanted to see myself in a book" | How Nikki May Got "Wahala" Published

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