In 'Open Water,' two young Black British artists find one another in the bustling heart of South East London. He is a photographer, and she is a dancer. Both outsiders in their own way, they bond over a shared history of scholarship and societal neglect in a world that often celebrates and rejects them in equal measure. Their burgeoning love is tender and serene, yet it exists within an environment that lays bare the stark truths of race and masculinity. As their romance evolves, they navigate not only the complexities of young love but also the pervasive pressures of living within a body politicized by color. Caleb Azumah Nelson’s literary debut delivers a powerful meditation on love, art, and the struggle to flourish in a society that labels and confines.