Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space

“Ngamije is undeniably an excellent stylist, able to delight, amuse and horrify in equal measure, and Only the Stars Know the Meaning of Space, which feels more connected and cohesive the further you read, is an exciting and fresh approach to a work of collected fictions.” —Los Angeles Times
“Remy Ngamije has written an absolute marvel of a book–brilliantly conceived and unlike anything I’ve read before, with each story, chapter, paragraph a declaration of Ngamije’s extraordinary gifts.”—Dinaw Mengestu, author of SOMEONE LIKE US, John D and Catherine T MacArthur Professor of the Humanities and director of Bard’s Written Arts program
“Ngamije has a voice like none other. This collection of stories moves beautifully to its own rhythm.” —Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, New York Times bestselling author of Chain-Gang All-Stars and Friday Black

“Rémy Ngamije’s Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space is among the most exciting, innovative, and wonderfully observed story collections to appear in recent memory. It’s knock-down drag-out funny and overflows with raw honesty. What can’t Ngamije do?” —Peter Orner, author of The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Award
“I love this writing. I’m listening to my mind as I read Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space. Remy writes in a way I’ve always known, but I’ve never heard.” —Aku Orraca-Tetteh, dj, producer, musician for Florence + The Machine, and Saul Williams
“I am actively jealous of Remy’s imagination and its daring. Here we have a writer who sees everything, from the absurdities and complexities of Namibian life and then offers them to you wrapped in humor and the tapestry of global south music to say we are all mixed. This is a journey across all genres to paint a picture of an Africa that has globalized onto itself - the West even though the present is peripheral. Through Remy, Windhoek sings its song. Take a listen!” —Mukoma Wa Ngugi, author and Associate Professor of Literatures in English, Cornell University
“Ngamije’s rich collection follows characters as they navigate the untidiness of their lives, broken relationships, and elusive desires … The narratives are finely alert to characters’ vulnerabilities, pulling differing worlds into poignant focus.”— Booklist
“Imaginative and immersive, Ngamije tells stories through poetry and shopping lists, complete with a B-side like a true tracklist. A [study] of music and fiction, Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space is a modern treat.”—Our Culture
“Ngamije has a lot of fun, and success, with his unconventional structure … the prose shines.”— Kirkus Reviews

“Ngamije turns heads with his clever and energetic wordplay.” — Publishers Weekly

Rémy Ngamije is a Rwandan-born Namibian writer and photographer. He won the Africa Regional Prize of the 2021 Commonwealth Short Story Prize and was shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2021 and 2020. He is the founder of the Doek Arts Trust, an arts organization which publishes Doek! Literary Magazine, the country’s first literary magazine which he cofounded and serves as editor-in-chief. His work has been supported by the Civitella Ranieri Foundation and the Miles Morland Foundation and has been featured in literary festivals in Accra, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Berlin, and Basel.

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