Marlon James Could Win a Second Booker on November 9
By @sharedot · · 6 pages
- Books
- Booker Prize
- Marlon James
- Literary Awards
The Jamaica Gleaner reports Marlon James's 'The Disappearers' is shortlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize, which would make him a two-time winner.
What happened: a shortlisting with history behind it
The Jamaica Gleaner reports that Marlon James's latest novel, 'The Disappearers', launched in London last month and is one of six novels shortlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize, with the winner to be announced in London on Monday, November 9.
According to the newspaper, both of his prize-linked fictional novels are centred on the fallout of deadly homophobic attacks in a hostile 1980s Jamaica, giving the new shortlisting a striking continuity with the work that first won him the title.
Why it is surprising: rumour, aftermath and double-edged humour
What makes the shortlisting a talking point for devoted readers is how James describes the book's origin.
The Jamaica Gleaner quotes him saying it is based on a violent incident that was rumoured but never proven, adding that in Jamaica people trust rumours more than facts, and that he is more concerned with an incident's aftermath than the thing itself.
The judges, as reported by the Jamaica Gleaner, called it 'a Jamaican epic from one of the most impactful Caribbean novelists today', praising its shifting register of dialogue and poetic phrasings 'often pierced through with sharp, double-edged humour'.
The New York Times has called the book 'a masterpiece', according to the Gleaner's report.
The evidence: a prize-laden London launch tour
The Jamaica Gleaner details the promotional sweep behind the shortlisted title: a sit-down with journalist Jason Okundaye at Foyles Bookshop in central London, a conversation with podcast host Aku Gyamfi at the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton, and a book-signing at the Jamaica Patty Company restaurant in Covent Garden hosted by its Jamaican owner Theresa Roberts, where eager buyers queued for signatures and photos.
The Gleaner also notes the book is longlisted for the National Book Award 2026, and that James's honours already include 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.
The stakes: £50,000 and a six-book field
The Gleaner reports the winning author receives £50,000, and that the Booker, founded in 1969, has a reputation for transforming writers' careers.
Meanwhile, The Sun Nigeria reports that poet, lawyer and activist Ogaga Ifowodo has won the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature, worth $100,000 — a purse Ifowodo notes is considerably larger than the T.S. Eliot Prize's £25,000 — for a collection drawing on Leah Sharibu's abduction by Boko Haram.