Marlon James explores how homophobia shaped life in Jamaica in ‘The Disappearers’ (Level 1)

Marlon James is a writer from Jamaica. His new novel is called The Disappears. It tells the story of gay men in Jamaica in the 1980s and 1990s. At that time, it was very dangerous to be gay. People hid their true selves to stay safe. In the novel, a group of men come together to put on a play. James says that for gay people in a country that rejected them, acting and hiding were ways to survive. The book is personal for James. He once ran to a church hoping to change who he was. Later, writing helped him accept himself and stop hiding. The novel has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize. James believes that life in Jamaica is improving, and young people give him hope. He says the book was painful but also full of humor and even fun.