An Archivist Becomes a Target in Stacy Nathaniel Jackson’s Afrofuturist Novel — See the Cover Here (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Stacy Nathaniel Jackson and the cover of ‘The Ephemera Collector’.Photo:Property of Liveright Corporation

Property of Liveright Corporation

Poet Stacy Nathaniel Jackson is publishing his debut novel, and it’s got a deep personal connection.The author has shared the cover of his forthcoming novel,The Ephemera Collector, exclusively with PEOPLE; the book will hit shelves next April from Liveright, an imprint of W.W. Norton & Company. Taking place in near-future Los Angeles, the book follows archivist Xandria Brown, who unwittingly finds herself at the center of a violent scheme.Xandria, whose descendants were fervent collectors and took part in the Great Migration, has always had a passion for curation, particularly that of “seemingly useless African American ephemera,” per the book’s description. Despite a crushing workload and lingering effects of long COVID, she stays dedicated to her work with the help of a healthbot.

When Xandria’s workplace, The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, is suddenly locked down, the archivist finds herself on a mission to preserve the Diwata Collection, and must rely on new, adaptive technology in the face of danger.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!The Ephemera Collector, in addition to being a gripping saga, holds particular meaning for Jackson as well.

“The Ephemera Collectoris a love letter to my family — be them blood lineage or literary Ancestors,” the author says. “The story-within-the-story is an imagined near-future with a spotlight on loss, grief, health inequity, resilience, the promise of super artificial intelligence and unintended consequences.”

Stacy Nathaniel Jackson.Property of Liveright Corporation

“The protagonist Xandria Brown shares my DNA: from a cousin who encouraged me to collect mammies in order to get them off the market; to my sibling, an archivist and visual researcher who co-directed a major movie studio’s research library,” Jackson continues. “With respect to place, The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens was an important cultural institution in my life, from grade school field trips to Octavia E. Butler’s archives. The first public display of the Butler collection at The Huntington was one of the last cultural outings I had with my mother before she died.”Jackson, per his bio, is a trans poet, playwright and visual artist. His work has previously appeared in outlets such asElectric Literature,New American WritingandGeorgia Review.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.The Ephemera Collectorwill be published on April 1, 2025 and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.

source: people.com