Arts, Culture and Sport
Jamaican novelist wins 2015 Man Booker Prize
Marlon James became the first Jamaican writer to win the prestigious literary prize in its 47-year history, for A Brief History Of Seven Killings, a novel inspired by the attempted assassination of Bob Marley
A Brief History Of Seven Killings, a fictional account of the attempted assassination of reggae legend Bob Marley, has won the Man Booker Prize.
Jamaican author, Marlon James, 44, currently living in the US, is the first Jamaican writer to win the prestigious literary prize in its 47-year history, according to a press release.
The 686-page novel, is set in Kingston, James’ birthplace, and has over 75 characters, voices and witnesses. The characters range from, “FBI and CIA agents to killers, ghosts, beauty queens and Keith Richards’ drug dealer – to create a rich, polyphonic study of violence, politics and the musical legacy of Kingston of the 1970s,” the Man Booker Prize statement notes.
Reggae legend survived an attempted assassination in Kingston, Jamaica, 1976. Photo: Lifedaily
The book extensively covers the attempted murder of the reggae and Rastafarian icon in 1976 who is referred to as “The Singer” throughout the book and also looks at the the rise of the drug trade in Jamaica.
According to Michael Wood, chair of the judges, the decision was unanimous. The judging team considered 156 books for this year’s prize.
The author received £50,000 ($77,000), a trophy, a designer bound edition of his book and a further £2,500 ($3,800) for being shortlisted.
Former winners of the prize include Nigerian writer Ben Okri, 1991 winner for the book The Famished Road and South African/Australian literary icon J. M. Coetzee who won the award twice, in 1983 for his novel, Life & Times of Michael K and in 1999 for Disgrace.
Source: Man Booker Prize
