Novelist Percival Everett talks book publishing, art at Morehouse College

Over four decades, Percival Everett has published 30 books, combining his wry sense of humor with confronting race, gender and politics.

“Suder,” the novelist’s 1983 debut, tells the story of a pro baseball player experiencing a career slump. He published his first children’s book, “The One That Got Away,” nine years later.

Everett wrote poetry collections “re:f (gesture)” in 2006 and “Swimming Swimmers Swimming” five years later.

And his “James,” a bold 2024 reimagination of the enslaved character’s perspective from “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” earned him both a National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize in fiction.

Now, he wants to empower writers and artists to creatively interpret his writing.

The prolific author is appearing for a conversation to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day at Morehouse College on Friday.

He’s a panelist with Atlanta University Center professors Daniel Black, Nicole Carr and Michelle Hite.

Everett, who was born in Fort Gordon, Georgia, hopes the event is a lively discussion with peers and students about the fundamentals of book writing.

“I’ve been so tied up with work, I’m not even sure what we’re supposed to be talking about,” Everett said. “I’m tired of hearing myself, because I’m always saying the same things anyway. I’m just excited to hear what other people have to say.”

Everett’s most successful work offers his take on the Mark Twain classic.

Aside from the major book prizes, “James” is being adapted for film by director Steven Spielberg.

Everett, who spent a year writing “James,” wanted to challenge stereotypes found in what he said is considered classic literature.

“I find that myth of a slave voice to be erroneous, pernicious and bogus. To say it’s artfully done is fair enough because Twain writes beautifully, but it’s an irritating character for Black people in America,” he said.

“It’s an important novel on the American landscape, but I didn’t feel any great stress about tackling ‘Huck Finn.’”

Cover art for 'James,' a novel by author Percival Everett retelling the enslaved character's story from "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." It won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2025. (Courtesy of Doubleday)

While “James” arrived at a time when school districts were banning books mentioning race, Everett said he wasn’t bothered by school administrators or legislators attempting to censor his writing.

“Fascists are afraid of people thinking, and that’s what literary arts causes. I never get worried, because people who ban books don’t read them,” he said.

“Somebody will tell them, and they’ll have a problem with it. If anything, it’ll just bring more attention and encourage people to find the work.”

Everett’s 2001 novel, “Erasure,” chronicles a Black author frustrated with racial stereotypes in book publishing. It became “American Fiction,” a satire released in 2023 that earned an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Everett hopes “American Fiction’s” success means other Black filmmakers can adapt books by Black authors.

“Anytime one work of art can generate another one, it’s a time to be happy,” he said. “Maybe it’ll open doors for different types of movies to be made by Black artists. We’ll see.”

Percival Everett speaks at the Authors Guild Foundation Gala at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, April 20, 2026, in New York. (Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)

Everett starts his books with being curious about a subject. Then, he researches and tries to draft 150 pages of a manuscript to see if he’s still interested.

He refers to his process as “work amnesia.”

“I don’t think about it too much. I start studying something to see if it starts to come together,” said Everett, a distinguished professor of English at the University of Southern California. “I might think I know something about the world, but as the work progresses, I realize I don’t know much of anything,” he said.

Teaching fiction writing and theory, he encourages his classes to explore various topics in their storytelling but remain open to constructive feedback.

“There are no rules to fiction, so be brave. If you can get away with it, you can do it,” he said.

“You’re making art for people to look at, so get rid of the ego. We can’t be too precious because we’re trying to get better at it. The work is far more important than we are.”

Everett is currently writing his first play. He said he’s evolving creatively.