Jamaican author Marlon James wins Man Booker Prize

London: Jamaican author Marlon James has won the Man Booker Prize for his novel inspired by the attempted assassination of Bob Marley in the 1970s.

Michael Wood, chair of the Judges, described A Brief History of Seven Killings as the most exciting book on the shortlist.

The 680-page epic was full of surprises as well as being very violent and full of swearing.

James was announced the 50,000 euros winner yesterday night at London's Guildhall. He is the first Jamaican author to win the Man Booker Prize.
Receiving the award, he said a huge part of the novel had been inspired by reggae music.

The Man Booker prize, which was launched in 1969, aims to promote the finest



in fiction by rewarding the best novel of the year written in English and published in the United Kingdom.

To maintain the consistent excellence of the Man Booker Prize, judges are chosen from a wide range of disciplines, including critics, writers and academics, but also poets, politicians and actors, all with a passion for quality fiction.

The Man Booker International Prize was established in 2005, biannually rewarding an author for a body of work originally written in any language as long as it was widely available in English.

From 2016, the prize will become a translation prize, awarded annually for a single work of fiction, translated into English and published in the UK.