‘Our third date was at Buckingham Palace’: Marlon James and Nicholas Boggs on life as a literary power couple
Novelist Marlon James and biographer Nicholas Boggs discuss their relationship and shared commitment to highlighting Black queer history. Both authors have received prestigious literary nominations, solidifying their status as a prominent creative power couple.
Why it matters
The piece explores the intersection of personal relationships and creative output, particularly regarding the representation of marginalized histories.
Marlon James, left, and Nicholas Boggs. Marlon James, left, and Nicholas Boggs. Books Interview ‘Our third date was at Buckingham Palace’: Marlon James and Nicholas Boggs on life as a literary power couple Emma Loffhagen Shortlisted for the Booker and Baillie Gifford prizes respectively, the novelist and biographer talk about working and living together – and giving a voice to Black queer history
Sat 24 Oct 2026 09.00 BST Last modified on Sat 24 Oct 2026 19.55 BST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google T he literary power couple is a historically seductive concept. Two writers sharing a life, their private and creative worlds entwined, each becoming witness to and critic of the other’s work. Think Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne. Or, less auspiciously, Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes.
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