Marlon James and Nicholas Boggs found each other through a dating app in Brooklyn, when both men were already in their 40s.
They lived just three blocks apart.
It is an appealingly ordinary beginning to a relationship whose early dates included something considerably less ordinary: a visit to Buckingham Palace.
In a new joint interview with The Guardian, published October 24, the writers recall how James invited Boggs to a palace event for their third date.
James says the occasion even included kissing in the Queen’s bathroom.
A New Chapter in Their 40s
James, 55, and Boggs, 53, have been together since 2018.
Their story offers a welcome counterpoint to the idea that the most exciting parts of a gay man’s romantic life must happen young.
Here are two men who met in midlife and have since built a relationship alongside demanding creative careers.
The palace anecdote is delightful, but the life around it is the more substantial story: companionship, shared interests and the opportunity to watch someone you love achieve something important.
Two Writers, Two Major Shortlists
James is shortlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize for The Disappearers, as confirmed by the prize’s official announcement.
The novel explores homophobia and violence against gay men in Jamaica during the AIDS era.
James previously won the Booker in 2015 for A Brief History of Seven Killings.
Boggs, meanwhile, is shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction for Baldwin: A Love Story.
The prize’s announcement describes a biography drawing on archival material, research and interviews to examine the intimate and artistic relationships that shaped James Baldwin’s life.
These are separate achievements in different literary fields, and neither of this year’s awards has yet been decided.
A Story They Will Write Together
Their work shares a concern with Black queer lives and histories that have too often been overlooked.
Now their creative paths are converging on a joint project.
As Publishers Weekly reports, Boggs and James will co-adapt Baldwin: A Love Story for film, with Anonymous Content and Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground involved.
The adaptation is in development, adding a shared screenplay to the books they have written individually.
There is much to celebrate here: gay love found in their 40s, two significant literary accomplishments, and the chance to build something new together.
And, admittedly, a third date that would be rather difficult to top.
📷 @nicholastboggs @marlonjameswriter
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