Black Bag

An out-of-work actor lands the strangest role of his life: sitting silently inside a giant leather bag at the back of a university lecture hall as part of a psychological experiment.

But Dr. Blend’s experiment soon takes unexpected turns. Professors develop new theories, an old friend sees a business opportunity, and questions of identity, masculinity, and love begin to surface.

Darkly funny, deeply strange, and surprisingly tender, Black Bag is an offbeat campus novel about human connection and the absurdity of modern life.

Longlisted for The Booker Prize 2026.