Escape to An Autumn Pavement is the second novel of Jamaican writer and journalist Andrew Salkey. It was first published in 1960, and narrates main character Johnnie Sobert's pursuit of cultural belonging.[1] The novel was re-issued in 2009 as a Peepal Tree Caribbean Classic with an introduction by Thomas Glave, who foregrounds the novel's bold exploration of sexuality.[2]
Though Salkey is likely better remembered for his contributions to literary culture than for his own writing, Escape to An Autumn Pavement has been discussed as an important contribution to both postcolonial and queer literary studies, with the interrelation of Johnnie's migrant and queer identities making him significant to theorists from both of these backgrounds.[3]
Johnnie, a Jamaican exile, spends the novel immersing himself in the bohemian scene found in Soho to escape his possessive mother. While living in a bedsit in Hempstead, he engages in an unfulfilling affair with his white landlady Fiona, and eventually ends up torn between Fiona and his gay friend Dick, with each representing a different lifestyle.