The Disappearers
$27.99
- Paperback
640 pages
- Release Date
8 September 2026
Summary
‘Darkness is a mood in Jamaica …’
The Disappearers is Marlon James’s triumphant return to the Jamaica of A Brief History of Seven Killings - a place of heat and chaos, and of danger for anyone outside the heteronormal.
So when eight gay men meet for the first time, in Kingston in 1988, answering the casting call for an openly queer play, they are already taking a big risk. But that is nothing compared to what rains down on them when a mob descends on one of t…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780241714416 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0241714419 |
| Author: | Marlon James |
| Publisher: | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Imprint: | Hamish Hamilton Ltd |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 640 |
| Release Date: | 8 September 2026 |
| Weight: | 680g |
| Dimensions: | 37mm x 153mm x 234mm |
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Critics Review
The Disappearers is among Marlon James’s most ambitious and history-making works, a novel that examines territory Caribbean literature has rarely dared to occupy … James is a singular literary talent. His dialogue is sharp and propulsive, his phrasing is poetic, visceral and capable of moving from the painful to the darkly hilarious within a single exchange – Booker Prize Judges
Crackling with sass, suspense and scintillation, The Disappearers is Marlon James’s unapologetic and unvanquished masterpiece on queer rage and solidarity – Santanu Bhattacharya
James brings multilayered life to a troubling era in his homeland’s recent history. He engages with his landscapes and the diverse characters populating them with intensity, passion, and bountiful, often graphic detail. With the same affinity for Dickensian storytelling he’s shown in his sword-and sorcery epics, James tells this searingly realistic tale through interview fragments, journal entries, letters, and in recreating the horrific attack, with random, frantic voices that leave unsettling echoes. Even when it stress-tests your senses, this sprawling depiction of gay life in Jamaica is galvanizing * Kirkus Reviews starred review *
This language-rich novel is filled with vivid slang … As always, James writes exceptionally well….This book may remind readers of works by John Rechy, Jean Genet, William Burroughs, and Hubert Selby, but James is his own man * Library Journal, starred review *
Captivating and epic … James renders his characters’ tumultuous inner lives with striking imagery and energy; their dialogue is rapid, keen, and hard-hitting. In all, a gritty, powerful, and gripping read * Booklist *
Marlon James
Marlon James is the author of:
- A Brief History of Seven Killings (Booker Prize winner)
- Black Leopard, Red Wolf (National Book Award finalist)
- Moon Witch, Spider King (New York Times bestseller)
- The Book of Night Women
- John Crow’s Devil
His novels have received numerous accolades, including the Booker Prize, the American Book Award, the Los Angeles Times’ Ray Bradbury Prize for Science Fiction, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.
Born in Jamaica, James currently lives in New York City.
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