The OCCIDENTAL BOOK of the DEAD
On sale September 2026 through William Morrow
George Washington Jonson is a Black cop in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 2005 he is out on patrol with his young white trainee, Utner, when a split-second confrontation with a white teenage suspect takes a violent turn – and Utner shoots the teenager dead. The city is thrown into chaos, and order must be restored.
So far, so Hollywood.
But then, a dizzying somersault in the novel’s structure upends the narrative and begins an even darker, more complicated and provocative story about racism, power and corruption – building to an unforgettable portrait of a nation divided.
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“A Black cop’s pursuit of the American Dream becomes a nightmare when he’s ensnared by colleagues — both Black and White — who use moral arguments to justify immoral actions in their quest for justice,” Johnson says of the novel in a quote shared with PEOPLE. “As innocent lives are destroyed, the quest for ‘justice’ is revealed to be nothing more than a vindictive power grab.”
“A stunning achievement with no clear literary precedent. Welcome to Braggsville . . . is one of the most searing, shocking looks at racial issues and campus activism in a long time.” - Men’s Journal, Best Books of 2015
“Hold It ‘Til It Hurts is a novel that defies categorization. It is at once a mystery, a meditation, a modern-day myth, an indictment of war and an ode to love. But this much is clear: This masterfully written book, filled with trenchant observations and unafraid of tenderness, marks Johnson as a writer to watch.”―San Francisco Chronicle
“Johnson’s writing left me constantly pushing towards the next plot-twist, not just at the ends of chapters, but at the end of every paragraph. . . . It’s this anxiety-ridden, and sometimes heart-wrenching, prose that grasps the attention of readers and holds it through the end of the novel.”―Hazel & Wren
"Hold It 'Til It Hurts is more about love and redemption than race or war. The bond that connects Achilles to his brother, Troy, is magnificently drawn, the depth of emotion unforgettable. And the surprises in the plotting herald the beginning of an impressive literary career."―CounterPunch
Johnson is the bestselling author of Welcome to Braggsville (William Morrow), longlisted for the National Book Award and Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence, and Hold It ’Til It Hurts (Coffee House Press), a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award.
He has been awarded the Ernest J Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, the Joyce Carol Oates Literary Prize, and the Rome Prize.
He received his MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he taught writing, and has held Stegner and Iowa Arts fellowships.
