Wow! And I mean- wow! Hangman tells the story of an African man who returns to his home country from America after being away for a couple of decades. Stuck in this unfamiliar yet familiar land he comes across many different people who feel the need to tell him their stories. Through these stories and his travels, we learn more about our central character and why he has returned. Hangman was utterly beautiful. This book is dreamlike and you are seemingly stuck with our main character drifting through this confusing land with its equally confusing people. The people our unnamed character meet are colourful and larger than life, Binyam paints these characters beautifully. If it weren’t for reading the last 50 pages on a plane, I know I would’ve wept. I’ve been raving about this book to everyone I’ve spoken to the last couple of weeks, I can’t wait until it comes out in August and everyone else gets to read this magical, masterful debut book.

A beautifully bizarre contemplation on communication, connection and the narratives that make up our lives. With a heart-wrenching dive into immigration, racism and the blurred lines between right and wrong this is a fantastic contemporary read that draws heavily from post-modern writing. I highly recommend “Hangman” by Maya Binyam.

This had not been on my radar before it was longlisted for the women's prize for fiction... So my verdict - well written, really interesting and darkly funny read. Very much enjoyed the read. Not read anything like it before so very interested to see what Maya writes next.