James

James revisits Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved man who travels with Huck. Set in 1861, the story begins when Jim learns that he may be sold and separated from his wife and daughter. He takes refuge on Jackson’s Island, while Huck is escaping a violent father.

Their journey along the Mississippi becomes the setting for Everett’s exploration of freedom, identity and the ways people use language under unequal conditions of power. The novel engages with Twain’s book while giving its central character a different narrative authority. Published in 2024, James was shortlisted for that year’s Booker Prize; its winning awards are listed separately below.