Everything is Fine Here is one of 10 books nominated for the 2026 Evergreen Award. A brainchild of the Ontario Library Association, the Forest of Reading is Canada’s largest recreational reading program!

Sabrina Cataldo has written a lovely profile of myself and fellow University of Regina alumni Ken Wilson and Melanie Schnell.

My short story, Rapture, is included in Grain Magazine's 200th issue out now!

Tushabe hopes to open dialogue on how queerness is shown in African literature

"Tushabe now lives in Regina, but her novel draws on her younger years in Uganda. The coming-of-age story follows 18-year-old Aine, who navigates the challenges of family and societal pressures in order to stand in solidarity with her older sister, Mbabazi, who is gay, in a country where queerness is criminalized. After a family tragedy, Aine’s loyalties are divided when her Christian mother cannot accept Mbabazi and her partner, Achen." Read the full review/story at Prairie Books NOW

The Author of “Everything Is Fine Here” Recalls a Seminal “This American Life” Episode. Read Liberating Lit

The author of “Everything Is Fine Here” answers our author questionnaire

Iryn Tushabe’s debut novel charts the rise of homophobia following a worldwide conservative current seeking to repeal progressive cultural reforms. The book asks pressing questions about whether political writers must appeal to or incite a sense of indignation in readers for social justice fiction to be effective, and how religious apostasy can fill a person with self-doubt, dread and uncertainty. Read the full article

"This is a really well-written novel that’s full of heart and wonderful characters. Apart from LGBTQ+ and family (found included) themes, as well as Aine’s coming-of-age journey, there’s a close and very moving study of bereavement and grief. Everything is Fine Here is excellent modern African literature that scores very highly on my “I need it not to be about war, poverty or AIDS please” list—important for me because I want to read about the complexity of African lives outside of tired media portrayals. There’s so much more to see, and Tushabe’s novel shows it—as well as managing to be an emotionally astute, fun and engaging read.

Read the full review

It's been almost 20 years since Iryn Tushabe left Uganda to live in Regina, and she says that she writes to recover things she's left behind.

The traditional stories of spiteful gods and triumphant heroes were one of the ways she and her family connected with each other.

Tushabe discussed Everything is Fine Here on Bookends with Mattea Roach.

Read the CBC web feature.

This spring Regina's Iryn Tushabe released her debut novel 'Everything is Fine Here'. and it grabs you from the very first page. It's set in Iryn's home country of Uganda and follows one family through the eyes of an 18-year old young woman named Aine. She's just discovered her older, beloved sister has been in a lesbian relationship for years. That discovery sets off a chain of events and emotions that lead us from a boarding school in rural Uganda to experiences in the country's capital city of Kampala. It's a story about the secrets we keep... and the ties that connect us. Iryn joins host Shauna Powers for a wide ranging conversation.

In this Writer's Digest interview, author Iryn Tushabe discusses how her anger-fueled first draft led to a restart and ultimately to her debut novel, Everything is Fine Here.