Tope Owolabi to Publish Debut Short Story Collection ‘There Is Goodness Waiting at Home’

Nigerian writer Tope Owolabi is set to publish her debut book, There Is Goodness Waiting at Home, on November 19, 2026, with Nigerian publishing house Masobe Books. The collection brings together twelve short stories exploring love, grief, migration, memory, belonging and the courage it takes to begin again.

Moving between Ibadan and London, the stories follow characters navigating the complexities of everyday life, from family expectations and difficult relationships to loss, longing and the search for a place to call home. Through these varied experiences, Owolabi examines the fragile, sometimes contradictory nature of being human and the small moments of goodness that can sustain us through difficult seasons.

The collection has already received praise from acclaimed authors Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, author of Stay With Me and A Spell of Good Things, and Chika Unigwe, winner of the Nigeria Prize for Literature and author of Grace. Both writers highlight Owolabi’s ability to capture the complexities of grief and loss while leaving room for the tenderness and possibilities of human life.

A Writing Journey More Than a Decade in the Making

Owolabi began writing in 2012, first as a newspaper columnist before expanding into fiction, memoir essays, opinion writing and book reviews. Over the years, her work has earned recognition from several literary platforms and prizes.

She won second place in the inaugural Mo Siewcharran Prize in 2019 and has twice been a finalist for the Miles Morland Prize. Her writing has also been longlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, the Guardian/4th Estate Prize, the V.S. Pritchett Prize and the Writivism Prize. Her memoir essay, The Smell of Oxford, was a finalist for the Brittle Paper Creative Nonfiction Prize.

Her work has appeared in publications including Catapult Magazine, Isele Magazine, Tender Photos and Archivi.ng. She also participated in the Farafina Trust Creative Writing Workshop hosted by acclaimed Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

With There Is Goodness Waiting at Home, Owolabi brings years of developing her craft to her first published book, inviting readers into stories that explore the relationships, memories and experiences that shape how we understand ourselves and others.

Beyond Writing: Building Opportunities for Children

Owolabi’s commitment to the human experience extends beyond her literary work. In 2023, she founded The Oluwanifise Foundation, a social impact organisation working to close literacy and nutrition gaps in underserved communities across Nigeria.

Through the foundation, she and her team run reading clubs serving more than 200 children across primary schools in Ibadan Northwest Local Government Area and Uke, Nasarawa State. Its school outreach has also reached more than a thousand children, while its nutrition initiative, developed in collaboration with doctors and nutritionists at University College Hospital, Ibadan, supports severely malnourished children under five.

For Owolabi, writing and community work are connected by a shared interest in the human experience: one creates room for people to feel seen through stories, while the other addresses practical needs within communities. Her debut collection arrives at the intersection of these commitments, bringing readers stories that ask them to pay attention to the fragility of life, the weight of loss and the possibilities that remain even when circumstances change.

About There Is Goodness Waiting at Home

Published by Masobe Books, There Is Goodness Waiting at Home features twelve short stories set across Ibadan and London. The collection explores risk, betrayal, justice, restoration, memory and longing, examining the daily negotiations between who we are and who we hope to become.

The book is available for preorder ahead of its November 19, 2026 release.

Book details

• Title: There Is Goodness Waiting at Home
• Author: Tope Owolabi
• Publisher: Masobe Books
• Publication date: November 19, 2026
• Format: Paperback

Readers can preorder the book through Masobe Books and Rovingheights.