Independent publisher Jacaranda Books has acquired the World English-language rights to Wrong Sex, the debut novel by writer and journalist Jackson King, with publication scheduled for 2028.
The rights were acquired from literary agent Kerry-Ann Bentley of KAB Literary. The novel was originally commissioned by Jacaranda’s former Fiction Director, Sareeta Domingo, before her death in 2025, making it one of the final titles she championed during her tenure at the publishing house.
Wrong Sex follows the lives of Bailey, a Black transgender man in his twenties, and Grant, a Jamaican cisgender man in his fifties, whose age-gap relationship explores themes of love, secrecy, identity and power. The story also examines Black masculinity from both cisgender and transgender perspectives while addressing Caribbean family life, class, sexuality and the complexities of relationships that exist beyond public expectations.
King, whose journalism has appeared in major publications including The Guardian, PinkNews and Metro, said the acquisition represents more than a publishing milestone.
“As a Black trans writer, I know that the conditions in which a book is made can determine whether it exists at all,” King said. “Jacaranda’s belief in the novel gives me the security to finish it with care and bring it into the world while conversations around gender, intimacy and power feel especially urgent.”
Beyond journalism, King is the founding editor of Irresistible Damage, a magazine for queer trans men, and also writes the Testosterotica newsletter.
Jacaranda Books founder and publisher Valerie Brandes described the novel as a continuation of Sareeta Domingo’s editorial legacy.
“Sareeta had an extraordinary instinct for voices that were doing something new, necessary and alive,” Brandes said. “Jackson King is a fearless, tender and original writer, and Wrong Sex is exactly the kind of bold fiction Jacaranda exists to publish.”
She added that preserving the vision of the late Fiction Director remains a responsibility the publisher takes seriously, with Wrong Sex joining the select group of books acquired under Domingo’s leadership.
King’s literary agent, Kerry-Ann Bentley, praised both the author and the late editor’s belief in the project.
“I’m incredibly proud that Wrong Sex will become part of Sareeta’s list at Jacaranda,” Bentley said. “Jackson is an exceptional talent, and readers will soon have the opportunity to experience Bailey and Grant’s unforgettable relationship.”
The forthcoming novel has already received praise from respected cultural figures including writer and performer Travis Alabanza, photographer Ajamu X and broadcaster Charlene Douglas.
Alabanza recalled hearing King read excerpts from the manuscript during an event in Bristol, describing the audience’s reaction as one filled with “hunger, laughter, gasps and awe.”
With publication slated for 2028, Wrong Sex is expected to add to Jacaranda Books’ catalogue of contemporary fiction while continuing the publisher’s commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices and stories.
Photo Caption: Jackson King’s debut novel Wrong Sex will be published by Jacaranda Books in 2028 after the publisher acqu
