Marlon James—Author of ‘The Book of the Century’—Wants You to Know Where to Go for a Cheap Date

Marlon James was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He also set his 2015 Booker Prize–winning novel, A Brief History of Seven Killings, about the assassination attempt on Bob Marley, and his HBO detective series, Get Millie Black, on the island. (His mother was in law enforcement, though he has said the show isn’t about her.) He clearly has a profound love for the place he came from, which he has described as “the Texas of the Caribbean” for its swagger.

His latest novel, The Disappearers (out today)—recently hailed as “the book of the decade, if not the century” by The New York Times’s Dwight Garner—is also set in Jamaica. A 600-page tome that has been compared to Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children and Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, the Booker-long-listed novel tells the story of eight gay men living in Jamaica. His Kingston, in the book and in his recommendations below, is a place of multitudes. All his beloved spots are in the capital city, unless otherwise noted.

For breakfast: First things first; when in Jamaica, do as the Jamaicans do and call breakfast “brekkie.” Triple T’z, which sounds like an off-course horse race betting shop, is a secret fiercely guarded by the locals, so put up with the suspicious looks and grab a table. The decor looks as if somebody scoured every old house in Kingston, stole everything that was interesting, and tacked them to the wall. The best Jamaican food tastes as if Grandma just cooked it, which is why I suspect that an army of grandmothers works the kitchen. Try ackee and corned pork (not salt fish) or mackerel rundown (spicy fish stewed in coconut milk). Accept that you will pack on some pounds and order fried dumplings with everything.

For a caffeine fix: Susie’s, which is open both early and late. Ask for whatever coffee or tea you like, the exact way you like it. Better yet, ask for three plantain tarts—two for yourself and one that will cause you great pain to give away.

Late-night diner/food truck: If you are up at 1 a.m., head to Liguanea if you’re posh; Red Hills Road if you’re not. Swerve off the road as soon as you see smoke. Jamaica’s worst-kept secret is jerk chicken, but our best-kept secret is pan chicken. No, they are not the same thing. Jerk chicken is a slow roast in pimento wood. Pan chicken is a smoky barbecue, dressed in homemade sauce and served between two slices of freshly baked hard dough bread. No, you do not take it with you. Yes, you will stand right there on the side of the street, eat with your hands, and leave smelling like smoke.