Teju Cole’s debut novel Open City was published in 2011 and I came to it via the traditional means—a review in a magazine, in this case a long, positive review by James Wood in the New Yorker. Writing in the magazine’s classic thin columns, Wood suggested the novel was ‘intensely [W.G.] Sebaldian’ and one that did not mock or flaunt its own critical and literary theories. He urged readers to try to get past the first few pages, which were dense and essentially implied that no action would take place in the story that followed. I was excited by Wood’s words of high praise and went searching for Open City in bookstores. Unable to find it, I ordered a copy from Book Depository and it came to me in a square brown cardboard case. I ripped it open and attempted to rip into the book, reading the first chapter. But then I stopped and stored it under my bed.

Meanwhile, with his book gathering dust, Teju Cole was discovering the creative potential of Twitter. Most novelists now have some form of social networking account, perhaps to promote their works or speaking engagements. There are many numbers of ways to describe Twitter to those unfamiliar with it. Here are some attempts: