In his debut novel, Chain-Gang All-Stars, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah examines an America in which systemic racism, wanton capitalism, and mass incarceration combine to create a new privatized and monetized gladiator production in the United States, on which the kaleidoscopic lives of his main characters take center stage as they fight to survive and pursue their freedom — by any means necessary. A work longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Excellence and named a finalist for the 2024 Chautauqua Prize, among other accolades, Chain-Gang All-Stars combines prose that is both provocative and forthright in its critique of the American incarceration system.