Augustown
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founder | Kei Miller |
| Products | Novel |
Augustown is a novel released in 2016 by Jamaican author Kei Miller. This work, Miller's third novel, was published in the United Kingdom by Weidenfeld & Nicolson and in the United States by Pantheon Books. In addition to his novels, Miller is recognized for his poetry.
Plot
The story offers a reinterpretation of a 1921 historical incident involving the Baptist preacher Alexander Bedward, who proclaimed he would ascend physically to heaven but was ultimately confined to a mental institution. Miller's retelling imagines the preacher achieving this feat, attracting many visitors to the struggling community of Augustown eager to witness the extraordinary event.
Reception
Laura Miller, writing for The New Yorker, praises Augustown as a narrative richly woven with diverse characters and tales from the challenging environment of Augustown, setting it apart from conventional "poet’s novels" that often lack a strong storyline. The novel received the esteemed OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature in 2017.