Random House to Publish New Novel by Booker Prize-Winning Author George Saunders
Random House will publish VIGIL, a new novel by the bestselling, Booker Prize-winning author George Saunders, on January 27, 2026.
World rights were acquired by Andy Ward from Esther Newberg at CAA.
VIGIL unfolds at the deathbed of a powerful oil company CEO named K.J. Boone, as he is ferried from this world into the next. His guide in these last hours is Jill “Doll” Blaine, a young woman who died tragically in 1976, and has dedicated her afterlife to the work of comforting the dying. As Boone races toward death, visitors (worldly and otherworldly, alive and dead) arrive, clamoring for a reckoning. With the wisdom, playfulness, and electric imagination that we have come to expect from him, Saunders takes on the gravest issues of our time—the menace of corporate greed, the toll of capitalism, the perils of technology, and, especially, the thorny question of absolution.
“I found myself wondering about that generation of climate change deniers who, through obfuscation and spin, put progress on hold for twenty or thirty years, and are now old and passing away,” Saunders said. “I wondered whether such a person might, at the end of his life, feel inclined to repentance. If he had a chance to explain himself, would he try? Could he even do it? What I loved about writing this book was how it stretched me. I’m always hoping a book will lead me into new territory – of voice, intensity, moral positioning – and VIGIL really did that. Writing it felt like a real adventure.”
“This book scared me, entertained me, and reminded me – not that I needed reminding – that George Saunders is one of the most daring, most imaginative, most accomplished writers working today,” said Ward. “We’re incredibly proud to publish him at Random House. VIGIL is a fierce and wild ride, and we can’t wait to share it with the world.”
George Saunders © Zach Krahmer
George Saunders is the author of twelve books, including the #1 bestselling LINCOLN IN THE BARDO, winner of the 2017 Man Booker Prize. His 2013 collection TENTH OF DECEMBER was a finalist for the National Book Award. A SWIM IN A POND IN THE RAIN, a best-selling exploration of the Russian short story, was published in 2020. His most recent book, LIBERATION DAY, was chosen as one of President Barack Obama’s favorite books of 2022. He has received MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellowships, and the PEN/Malamud Prize for excellence in the short story. In 2013, he was named one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time magazine. He has taught in the Creative Writing Program at Syracuse University since 1996.
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