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By Christy Anyanwu
The gripping debut novel by UK-based Nigerian author, Peace Anazodo, You Can’t Sit With Them, is set to hit shelves across the UK this October.
Originally released in Nigeria by Naphtali Books in July 2025, the novel was swiftly acquired by Rayany Publishing for UK distribution. It will be available in select independent bookstores and more widely on Amazon in ebook, paperback, and hardcover formats.
You Can’t Sit With Them follows Osas Ediku, a determined young woman navigating the brutal social terrain of post-loss reinvention.
Peace Anazodo, who moved to the UK from Nigeria, first gained recognition with her short story, Some Bright Spot, featured in Naphtali Books’ post-pandemic anthology The Morning After in 2021. Inspired by the complexities of diaspora life, she began writing her debut novel in spring 2023, weaving themes of ambition, exclusion, and cultural inheritance into a taut, emotionally resonant narrative.
“I’m more than excited to see You Can’t Sit With Them reaching a wider audience,” Anazodo shared. “Especially in the UK, where much of the story unfolds.”
With this release, Anazodo joins a growing wave of bold Nigerian voices reshaping global literature; authors who blend cultural nuance with diaspora insight to meet a world increasingly hungry for African stories.
