Nigerian writer, journalist, and book influencer Ezioma Kalu, popularly known as Bookish Ezioma, is set to publish her debut novel, On Rainy Days, I Think of Flowers, in 2027.

Published by Masobe Books, the novel is described as a haunting story of grief, family, mental illness, and love. It follows fifteen-year-old Chiefo Akukalia, whose memories of her younger brother’s death are thrown into question after she is diagnosed with schizophrenia. As buried memories and family secrets resurface, Chiefo is forced to confront the uncertainty between memory and reality.

On Rainy Days, I Think of Flowers is scheduled for release on 31 May 2027.

Kalu, who grew up in Enugu, works as an Associate Producer at News Central TV and has built a significant following within Nigeria’s reading community. She gained widespread attention after reading 122 books in 2023 and 150 in 2024, further establishing her as one of the country’s prominent online book influencers.

Her writing has also received recognition, including a longlisting for John Okafor’s Prize for Humour Writing in 2024, a shortlist position for the Iskanchi Book Prize in 2025, and a place among Isele’s Top Essays of 2024 for her essay, This Is How I Think of You.

With On Rainy Days, I Think of Flowers, Kalu now moves from being a celebrated reader and book influencer to introducing her own work to the literary world.

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