Marlon James and Nicholas Boggs shortlisted for major UK literary prizes
Novelist Marlon James and biographer Nicholas Boggs have both been shortlisted for major British literary prizes, with books that bring attention to the lives and histories of Black queer men. The couple discuss how their relationship shapes their work and how they feel about being described as a literary power couple.
James, 55, is shortlisted for the Booker for *The Disappearers*, about Aids-era gay life and homophobia in Jamaica. Boggs, 53, is shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford prize for *Baldwin: A Love Story*, drawing on two decades of research into James Baldwin’s intimate life and creative relationships. The pair have been together since 2018 and met through a dating app while living a few streets apart in Brooklyn.
In short
- James and Boggs are shortlisted for major literary prizes.
- Their books centre Black queer lives and histories.
- The couple have been together since 2018.
Explained simply
The Booker Prize and the Baillie Gifford Prize are British awards recognising fiction and non-fiction books. The Booker is for a novel, while the Baillie Gifford Prize is for a work of non-fiction.
Marlon James is a Jamaican novelist, and Nicholas Boggs is an American biographer. James’s novel explores gay life during the Aids crisis in Jamaica; Boggs’s biography examines the life and relationships of American writer James Baldwin.
Their books bring attention to Black queer men’s lives and histories, subjects often less visible in published accounts. James and Boggs are also partners, and their work has prompted discussion of how their relationship shapes their writing.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “‘Our third date was at Buckingham Palace’: Marlon James and Nicholas Boggs on life as a literary power couple”.