Minor Black Figures

Emily says about Minor Black Figures: 
"My best book of 2026 so far! A literary romance set during one hot New York summer, with thought provoking ponderings on race, religion and art. If you loved A Little Life but didn't love the trauma - this is the book for you!"

A painter. A priest. One hot New York summer.

Wyeth is a newcomer to New York, a young Black painter who is trying to find his place in the contemporary Manhattan art scene. He shares a studio with his friends and earns money working for a gallery and an art restorer but he’s struggling with his portrait painting, unable to truly capture the life of his subjects.

Then he meets Keating, a white former priest struggling with his faith. The two men seemingly have nothing in common, and yet Keating shows Wyeth how to see the world anew. But as the men grow closer, the differences between them become more stark, until Wyeth and Keating must decide what they are willing to risk – for art and for love.

Author: Taylor, Brandon
Holidays & seasonal interest
Published on 19 March 2026 by Vintage Publishing (Jonathan Cape) in the United Kingdom.
Hardback | 400 pages
242 x 163 x 39 | 612g