Hunger Pains: The conversation-starting Quick Reads story from the award-winning author of Borderline Fiction (Quick Reads 2026)

FROM GRANTA BEST OF YOUNG BRITISH NOVELIST AND WINNER OF THE DESMOND ELLIOT PRIZE

Ray wants the perfect body.

But how far is too far?

When his training turns extreme, Ray is pulled into a dark gym culture that promises results at any cost. As his body changes, so does his mind. Watching from the side lines is his girlfriend Temi, a journalist who expresses concern but has her own secret agenda.

Hunger Pains is a gripping story about obsession, control, and what happens when self-improvement becomes self-destruction.

Praise for Derek Owusu:

'Owusu can find humour in the bleakest places, taking you on an emotional rollercoaster and constantly challenging how you feel about a place meant to heal' Daniel Lawrence Taylor

'Derek Owusu is the real deal' Keiran Goddard

'Derek Owusu's writing is honest, moving, delicate, but tough. Once you lock on to his words, it is hard to break eye contact' Benjamin Zephaniah