The Disappearers by James, Marlon

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2026 BOOKER PRIZE

"Among Marlon James's most ambitious and history-making works... James is a singular literary talent." -Booker Prize judge's citation

From Marlon James, author of the Booker Prize-winning A Brief History of Seven Killings the electrifying story of the murder of a gay man in 1980s Jamaica and its far-reaching consequences

In 1988, eight men in Kingston, Jamaica, begin rehearsals for a play. Though strangers to one another, they share an inescapable truth: All of them are gay. And they live in a world that refuses to accept them.

One night the men are savagely beaten and one of them is killed. As their bodies heal, the survivors begin to face the hatred and contempt that the violence laid bare. Some try to ignore what happened. Others double down on retribution. Some disappear completely.

In this spellbinding novel, Marlon James has written a propulsive crime story that is also a deeply human account of connection and acceptance. Full of fascinating characters, biting humor, and unapologetic sex, The Disappearers is both a thrilling page-turner and a finely etched portrait of queer life.

Author: Marlon James
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Published: 09/01/2026
Pages: 640
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.85lbs
Size: 9.40h x 6.20w x 1.80d
ISBN: 9780593717202

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 07/01/2026 pg. 51
Booklist 07/01/2026
Kirkus Reviews 07/15/2026
Shelf Awareness 01/01/0001
Publishers Weekly 08/31/2026

About the Author
Marlon James is the author of the Booker Prize-winning A Brief History of Seven Killings; the National Book Award finalist Black Leopard, Red Wolf; the New York Times-bestselling Moon Witch, Spider King; The Book of Night Women; and John Crow's Devil. In addition to the Booker Prize, his novels have won 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 lives in New York City.