The Butterfly Jungle

by Diriye Osman

Migil Bile is a confidently curvy, tea-spilling, super-bright, slightly-dizzy queer British-Somali journalist with schizoaffective disorder and sauce to spare. Ensconced deep in the drama of being a twenty-something, working-class South Londoner juggling one too many gig-economy jobs, wonky mental health and romantic wackness, he takes the unsuspecting reader on an existential meditation on immigration, Brexit, gentrification, sexual assault, the pitfalls of being a digital worker, what it's like when all your immediate family members are on the LGBT spectrum, and explores what constitutes community and kinship during a global pandemic.
Shot through with bombast and badassery, fusing Somali, Spanish, Kiswahili, patois, sheng and hip-hop slanguistics into a sex-drenched, fourth wall-smashing blend of poetry, letters, essayistic excursions and interlinked short stories, THE BUTTERFLY JUNGLE is a tour de force and Diriye Osman is a bad bitch/good-natured motherf*cker who never takes mess (but doesn't mind splitting his lunch money with you.)
Ain't sh*t left to say.
Dig in, reader.

Diriye Osman is a British-Somali author, visual artist, critic and essayist based in London.
He lives on a diet of Disney cartoons, graphic novels, masala chai and Missy Elliott records.

Genres: Fiction, LGBT

134 pages, Hardcover

First published March 7, 2022

About the author

Diriye Osman is a British-Somali author, visual artist, critic and essayist based in London. He's the author of the Polari Prize-winning collection of stories, 'Fairytales For Lost Children', and the collection of interlinked stories, 'The Butterfly Jungle'. His work has appeared in 'The Guardian', 'Granta', 'The Financial Times', 'The Huffington Post', 'Vice', 'Poetry Review', 'Prospect', 'Time Out', 'Attitude' and 'Afropunk'. He lives on a diet of Disney cartoons, graphic novels, masala chai and Missy Elliott records.

Reviews

[Diriye Osman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sizzler of a book if I may so myself. I really loved, loved, loved writing this likkle tome and I hope you enjoy it, beloved reader.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection was quite literally like nothing I have ever read. It's a dizzying wham-bang-confessionary style whirlwind tour of queer and creative life among London immigrants, with lots of slang and fourth-wall-breaking and it was very difficult to put down. It has scenes about sex, life-reflections and mental illness that are so magical that I was not sure where one began and another ended. Some of the paragraphs were so beautiful and wild that I wanted to make a poster of them and put on my wall, so I can look at it whenever I find myself feeling 'there are no new ways to write about x y and z' (which is more often than I care to think about).

Now, as much as this narrative style pulled me in, I did quickly get an almost intimate connection to the main character, Migil, and a strong sense of the troubled soul beneath all the glam, and that was more than anything what kept my interest throughout. Especially Migil's attempts to navigate his mental health problems, work and romantic life resonated a lot.

I believe it is a rare gift to be able to balance such a powerful and engrossing style and still make the character(s) come off as very human and engaging. The Butterfly Jungle have a life of it's own that is so unique that I find myself struggling to describe it adequately. I dare say it is one of those collections of linked stories - heck, one of those books - that will stay with you for a long time. If you are queer or know anything about the life Migil leads you will love it, I'm sure. If you are not and you only try one new book this year then I highly recommend this be it!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

For all that Osman does not shy away from the traumas in his fascinating and adorable protagonist Migil's life - mental illness, sexual assault, online abuse - spending time in his extremely queer, black, creative world is a delight-filled and stimulating experience. This is a series of vignettes focussed on Migil's sensory escapades or relationships, each a self-contained story but with the through-thread of Migil's enchanting voice and frequent interactions with his loving (and also queer) family. It's like nothing else I've ever read in tone or style, and maybe that sometimes left me disoriented or lost, but maybe that's exactly what it should do. I found it warm, funny and enlightening.

[Emer Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author Diriye Osman. I read his collection of stories Fairytales for Lost Children, and I teach a number of his stories in my classes. The students relate to them automatically. I ordered this novel hoping it would live up to the story collection. I could not put it down, but forced myself to let it digest and read it over two days. Osman has created a wonderful character that surfs through London in a community that suffers from multiple traumas, they are Somali immigrants, refugees, and LGBTQ+ and the protagonist suffers from severe mental illness. It is contemporary and dazzling, here's a London world of Peckham gentrifying, Brexit, Borris, #metoo, Covid, Neo pronouns, gig economy, recreational and prescribed drugs, sex, mental illness. The characters survive their trauma and find healing through sheer resilience, creativity, community, humour, and activism.
Osman's writing sizzles and carries you along on a sparkling rainbow glitter wave that's sheer thrilling fun, yet every now and then you are pulled under with deep reflections that encapsulate true sorrow and struggle.
Brilliant!

[Richard Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I opened this book the day it arrived. I finished it the same day, I just couldn't put it down.
Diriye's world building is first class, I felt like I was there in the room watching the action.

By the end of the first chapter I'd had chills, smiles and nearly tears. A beautiful window into a world I want to visit.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow!! I’m so glad I got to read this incredibly vibrant book bursting with love pain tenderness beauty. The lack of continuity with the first section is a bit confusing but strong recommendation for this.

[Cathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luscious, vibrant, textured, grounded, illuminating, whimsical, profound, intriguing…. Just magnificent.

I adored this book.

[AlishaSoraya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite book of the YEAR. This book is by far the most beautifully designed little thing you‘ll ever own. It is joyful to the brim. Queer resistance meets mental health positivity meets chosen family meets Black self-love. Diriye Osman is joy incarnated, and this little book follows suit. What are you doing if you haven‘t ordered this yet? Go go go!