Marlon James with Brandi Fullwood — 'The Disappearers'

Third Place Books proudly presents a conversation with Marlon James about his new book, . Following a group of gay men through the short- and long-term aftermath of a homophobic attack in 1980s Kingston, Jamaica, The Disappearers is a transformative epic about violence, retribution, human connection, and survival. KUOW host and senior producer Brandi Fullwood joins in conversation.

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AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2026 BOOKER PRIZE

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2026 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION

“This masterpiece is the novel of the decade, if not the century... The Disappearers places [James] near the front of the line, a decade or two from now, for the Nobel Prize.” –The New York Times

“Harrowing, hilarious, magnificent …this novel will be read decades from now, pored over in seminars and bookmarked on subway commutes … [James’] defiant queer epic belongs to us all.” –The Boston Globe

“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 M**der 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.

Marlon James is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Disappearers, longlisted for The National Book Award for Fiction and shortlisted for the Booker Prize; 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. In 2019, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Born in Jamaica, James lives in New York City.

Brandi Fullwood is a host and senior producer for KUOW. She hosts the podcast Seattle Eats about the city’s food scene and produces Seattle Now Arts & Culture on Sundays. Previously, Brandi worked for The World, a co-production of the BBC World Service. She was born in New Haven, CT and now lives in Seattle.

Founded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events

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Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way Northeast, Lake Forest Park, United States

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