A review by morebedsidebooks
Fairytales for Lost Children by Diriye Osman
3.0
“In Somali culture many things go unsaid: how we love, when we love and why we love that way.”
Fairytales For Lost Children is a very important collection of short stories by gay Somali writer Diriye Osman that isn’t afraid to confront heavy topics and taboos. Interesting too if you think about what forms the expression of desire is (dis)allowed to exist. Though I almost stopped early into the book as a couple stories raised my eyebrows. Fortunately, I persevered because there is potent writing to be found in the collection.
Watering The Imagination a mother reflects the unsaid regarding her eldest daughter who is in love with another woman.
Tell The Sun Not To Shine in Nairobi a 14-year-old boy has sexual encounters with an 18-year-old named Libaan visiting from Somalia, years later at Eid he recognizes the Iman as Libaan.
Fairytales For Lost Children the title story about a boy who is a 10-year-old Somali refugee in Kenya and infatuated with a six-year-old boy.
Shoga in Kenya a Somali teenager is involved with an older refugee from Burundi who does domestic work for his grandmother who finds out.
If I Were A Dance exes collaborate for the sake of a dance performance which mirrors their relationship in both expected and unexpected ways.
Tell The Sun Not To Shine in Nairobi a 14-year-old boy has sexual encounters with an 18-year-old named Libaan visiting from Somalia, years later at Eid he recognizes the Iman as Libaan.
Fairytales For Lost Children the title story about a boy who is a 10-year-old Somali refugee in Kenya and infatuated with a six-year-old boy.
Shoga in Kenya a Somali teenager is involved with an older refugee from Burundi who does domestic work for his grandmother who finds out.
If I Were A Dance exes collaborate for the sake of a dance performance which mirrors their relationship in both expected and unexpected ways.
Pavilion features a trans woman nurse in England who doesn’t take any mistreatment and will creatively fight back.
Ndambi a lesbian muses on love and freedom in the face of rejection.
Earthling a woman struggling with mental illness, her girlfriend, and the sister who rejects her because of a fiancé’s intolerance.
Your Silence Will Not Protect You after a quote by Audre Lorde, this has another character in England a mentally ill gay man striving for independence who stands steadfast against abuse this time coming from homophobic family. Also my favourite of the collection.
The Other (Wo)man an immigrant art student in Londonmeets a married man twice his age through a dating site and begins experimenting with gender expression.
My Roots Are Your Roots In England a Somali man and a Jamaican man are lovers finding solace in each other.
My Roots Are Your Roots In England a Somali man and a Jamaican man are lovers finding solace in each other.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, Transphobia, and Homophobia
Minor: Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Child death, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Hate crime, Drug use, Police brutality, Alcoholism, Death of parent, War, Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, and Racism