Natives of My Person

A profound exploration of colonialism, from one of the Caribbean’s most powerful literary voices

A powerful reimagining of the age of European exploration, Natives of My Person tells the story of a nameless Commandant who sets sail under imperial orders – somewhere between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries – to locate the fabled island of San Cristobal, a place shrouded in myth and promise. But this is no ordinary voyage. As the expedition unfolds, it becomes a mirror of the imperial mind – ambitious, fractured, haunted by its own contradictions.

With poetic intensity and philosophical depth, this is a novel that journeys far beyond the seas it charts. Through shifting perspectives and a richly layered narrative, Lamming unearths the deep scars of conquest and the personal and political dimensions of empire – its delusions, its violence, and the haunting legacy it leaves behind.