𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐚 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧

COVER REVEAL: The Walls Are Closing In On Us. Coming to shelves near you March 3, 2026 from Malarkey Books. Preorder link in bio. I’m so excited to share this novel with the world next March. But for now, I’m pumped to share this incredible cover from John Chrostek (@stackofcrows ) And some early praise: “With traces of Paul Harding’s Tinkers and Denis Johnson’s Train Dreams, The Walls are Closing In On Us is a moving novel about racial tensions, segregation, and coming of age in a rapidly changing America. This is a book that examines not only the soul of a man but—perhaps—the soul of a nation.” —Austin Ross, author of Gloria Patri

Unbelievably excited to announce that my debut novel “The Walls Are Closing In On Us” is going to be published by @socialmalarkism in 2026. It's 100,000 words filled with a fictional version of my great grandfather, snake bites, the circus, mountain lions, encounters with cryptids and plenty of other things. I couldn't be more pumped to see it out in the world in a year and a half. And shoutout to @grace_brown_25 for the patience to let me see this through.

Book readings (nerve wracking!), pregnancy announcements (it’s a girl!), book selling, back porch sitting with Winston, book reviews (people read my book?), playing tunes like nobody’s listening (mostly they weren’t), afternoon naps with Nibbles (she says buy my book). Ah hell, we’ll figure it out.

“He grew a beard. He forgot how to speak, like his throat had frozen over. He grunted sometimes. He grew lean, leaner than he thought possible. He grew to love the smell of rain. He grew lonely. He grew out of his loneliness. He grew livelier and he grew tired. He grew until he grew no longer. He calloused. He thought he might live there until he died. Until his luck dried up. He grew closer to God. He prayed. He grew further from God. He grew lonely again.” It’s fair to say this book more than lived up to its potential 🦌🐍. “The Walls are Closing in On Us” by Joshua Trent Brown is a 20th Century epic and an imposed odyssey about a man who is caught between two worlds. George is half-White, half-Choctaw, raised by a single mother on a reservation in the South. We meet George in the twilight of his life, dying by a riverbed after an attempted lynching. It’s quite the set up, and one that Brown unspools as George recalls his existence in a serious of flashbacks. This is a story of unbelievable cruelty, a parade of tragedies heaped upon a man because of his skin. George faces prejudice and bigotry at every turn, yet I found so much beauty in the sorrow of George’s tragic tale. What I appreciated most was how deeply crafted “The Walls Are Closing In On Us” was; how much symbolism the scenes were imbued with and how tenderly the characters were treated. Despite the pain, this novel felt very, very human. I can still feel this novel reverberating in my mind. Trent, you’ve written one hell of a debut novel. Thank you for putting your craft into the world. - #southernfiction #debutnovel #bookstagram #bookreview #literature

We’re celebrating National Independent Bookstore Day with a full day of local talent at Daughters Coffee & Books on April 25th 💫 From children’s stories to poetry, YA to horror—there’s something for every kind of reader. Stop by, show some love, and maybe leave with a signed copy (or three)! Which author are you most excited to meet? #daughterscoffeeandbooks #localauthors #durham #indiebookstore #indiebookstoreday

Recent praise for Joshua Trent Brown’s debut novel, The Walls Are Closing In On Us

@traaaant will be present on 4/11 @komanabrewing

My book is out today. It’s nothing short of a dream come true. I hope you’ll read it. If you don’t have a copy yet, you can grab one at the link in my bio, or anywhere else you buy books.

We heard the world needed one more Drake Maye & Caleb Wilson stan. Baby Girl Brown, coming at you this August.

Inching closer to the release of The Walls Are Closing In On Us. @traaaant has some readings coming up in North Carolina and, for AWP, Baltimore. If you can’t get to one of those you can still snag a signed copy by preordering through our website. Trent is available for signings and readings by the way so if you have a bookstore or run a reading series or have a podcast hit us up!

ICYMI: my debut novel publishes in a little less than a month. You can preorder it on my publisher's website (link in bio) or Amazon or Barnes & Noble or pretty much wherever you'd like to preorder it.

Books that inspired my book. I know I like to learn what books my favorite authors were inspired by. So, in the off chance I become someone’s favorite author, here’s what inspired my upcoming debut novel “The Walls Are Closing In On Us.” P.S. You can preorder it from @socialmalarkism for 20% off with code FAITH at checkout. #fiction #books #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #reading