Random House To Publish New Novel By George Saunders
“Vigil,” a novel about guilt and redemption is set to be published in the U.S. on January 27, 2026.
“Vigil” is the title of a new novel by Booker Prize–winning author George Saunders, which Random House will publish in the U.S. on January 27, 2026. The novel is set at the deathbed of a powerful oil magnate named K.J. Boone, as he transitions from this world into the next. His companion in these final hours is Jill “Doll” Blaine, a young woman who died tragically in 1976 and has since devoted her afterlife to comforting the dying. As Boone approaches death, visitors – worldly and otherworldly, living and dead – arrive, confronting him one last time. With characteristic wisdom and imagination, Saunders tackles some of today’s most urgent issues: the threat of corporate greed, the consequences of capitalism, the perils of technology, and above all, the difficult question of forgiveness.
“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,” said George Saunders about the novel. “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.”
‘One of the most daring, most imaginative, most accomplished writers working today’
“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 Random House editor Andy 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 is the author of twelve books, including the #1 bestseller “Lincoln in the Bardo,” which won the 2017 Man Booker Prize. His 2013 collection “Tenth of December” was a finalist for the National Book Award. His most recent book, “Liberation Day,” was named one of President Barack Obama’s favorite books of 2022. Saunders has received MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellowships, as well as the PEN/Malamud Award for excellence in the short story. In 2013,Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He has taught in the Creative Writing Program at Syracuse University since 1996.
