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Table of Contents
About The Book
A vibrant and brilliant new collection of award-winning short fiction from the acclaimed author of the “charming, witty, and incredibly humane” (The Pittsburgh Gazette) debut The Eternal Audience of One.
Presented as a literary mixtape, Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space is a work of literature that provides you with a modern reading experience. The A-Side, read as one narrative, tells the story of a soon-to-be thirty-year-old aspiring writer navigating a complicated world. The B-Side, taken as a separate experience, features (seemingly) independent and unrelated short stories.
There’s “Crunchy, Green Apples (or, Omo)”, a story about loss told by the strangest of narrative devices: a shopping list. “Sofa, So Good, Sort Of (or, John Muafangejo)” is a first-person account of a family’s history and a long journey towards hope. A group of friends attempts to navigate a recent breakup in “From the Lost City of Hurtlantis to the Streets of Helldorado (or, Franco).”
When read together, however, a third world emerges—a complex, intergenerational, and interconnected world exploring the universal gaping void of grief. Rather than attempting to cross this black hole directly, the collection carefully traces around its edges, revealing the enormity of this cosmic force from the “electrifying voice you have been waiting for” (Maaza Mengiste, author of The Shadow King).
Presented as a literary mixtape, Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space is a work of literature that provides you with a modern reading experience. The A-Side, read as one narrative, tells the story of a soon-to-be thirty-year-old aspiring writer navigating a complicated world. The B-Side, taken as a separate experience, features (seemingly) independent and unrelated short stories.
There’s “Crunchy, Green Apples (or, Omo)”, a story about loss told by the strangest of narrative devices: a shopping list. “Sofa, So Good, Sort Of (or, John Muafangejo)” is a first-person account of a family’s history and a long journey towards hope. A group of friends attempts to navigate a recent breakup in “From the Lost City of Hurtlantis to the Streets of Helldorado (or, Franco).”
When read together, however, a third world emerges—a complex, intergenerational, and interconnected world exploring the universal gaping void of grief. Rather than attempting to cross this black hole directly, the collection carefully traces around its edges, revealing the enormity of this cosmic force from the “electrifying voice you have been waiting for” (Maaza Mengiste, author of The Shadow King).
About The Author
Abantu Book Festival
Rémy Ngamije is a Rwandan-born Namibian writer and photographer. He won the Africa Regional Prize of the 2021 Commonwealth Short Story Prize and was shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2021 and 2020. He is the founder of the Doek Arts Trust, an arts organization which publishes Doek! Literary Magazine, the country’s first literary magazine which he cofounded and serves as editor-in-chief. His work has been supported by the Civitella Ranieri Foundation and the Miles Morland Foundation and has been featured in literary festivals in Accra, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Berlin, and Basel. More of his writing can be read on his website: RemyTheQuill.com.
Product Details
- Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press (January 15, 2025)
- Length: 320 pages
- ISBN13: 9781668012468
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Raves and Reviews
“Remy Ngamije has written an absolute marvel of a book--brilliantly conceived and unlike anything I've read before, with each story, chapter, paragraph a declaration of Ngamije's extraordinary gifts.”—Dinaw Mengestu, author of SOMEONE LIKE US, John D and Catherine T MacArthur Professor of the Humanities and director of Bard’s Written Arts program
“I love this writing. I’m listening to my mind as I read Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space. Remy writes in a way I’ve always known, but I’ve never heard.” —Aku Orraca-Tetteh, dj, producer, musician for Florence + The Machine, TV on the Radio, and Saul Williams
"I am actively jealous of Remy’s imagination and its daring. Here we have a writer who sees everything, from the absurdities and complexities of Namibian life and then offers them to you wrapped in humor and the tapestry of global south music to say we are all mixed. This is a journey across all genres to paint a picture of an Africa that has globalized onto itself - the West even though the present is peripheral. Through Remy, Windhoek sings its song. Take a listen!" —Mukoma Wa Ngugi, author and Associate Professor of Literatures in English, Cornell University
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- Book Cover Image (jpg): Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space Hardcover 9781668012468
- Author Photo (jpg): Rémy Ngamije Abantu Book Festival(0.1 MB)
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