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In this week’s episode, I interview one of the most exciting debut authors of the moment – Derek Owusu, the first novelist to sign with Stormzy's publishing imprint, Merky Books. We discuss the role of identity in Derek's writing – which is heavily inspired by his own life – and the difficulty he faces when separating his own emotions and experiences and that of his characters in his debut novel, ‘That Reminds Me’. Derek is committed to bringing so-called taboo subjects to light, and in this episode we cover important issues such as growing up in foster care, self-harm and mental health. Derek also opens up about his struggle with borderline personality disorder – a high-stigmatised, underreported and complex condition affecting a predicted 7 in 1,000 people in the UK, according to The Guardian. If you are affected by any of the self-harm or suicide-related issues discussed in this podcast episode, contact the Samaritans at Samaritans.org or call their free hotline on 116 123.  * Derek Owusu’s debut novel, ‘That Reminds Me, is available to buy now on Amazon. * Follow @ChezSpecter on Instagram and Twitter, @alonementofficial on Instagram. * Learn more about alonement on alonement.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.