Marlon James releases new novel ‘The Disappearers’

Jamaican author Marlon James has released his new novel, ‘The Disappearers,’ a 600-page epic that has earned a nomination for the Man Booker Prize. Published by Riverhead and Penguin Random House, the book is described as his most personal work.

Set primarily in 1980s Kingston, the narrative centers on a brutal attack against a group of gay men rehearsing a play and follows the subsequent disappearance of survivors. The novel explores themes of Jamaican homophobia, violence, colonialism, and life on the margins. James noted that the story was inspired by rumors of attacks on queer safe spaces during his youth in Jamaica, a period marked by widespread rejection of homosexuality.

To prepare for the book, James conducted archival research and interviewed nearly 20 individuals regarding gay life in Jamaica. The narrative is polyphonic, moving between Kingston, 1950s England, and the 2000s United States.