By Euro Weekly News Media • Published: 14 Oct 2015 • 8:39
Marlon James.
MARLON JAMES, a Jamaican author, has won the Man Booker prize and £50,000 (€70,000) for his 680-page book ‘A Brief History of Seven Killings’ inspired by the attempted assassination of Bob Marley in the 1970s, it was announced at the Guildhall, London, on the evening of October 13.
This is his third book and covers a period of extreme political instability in Jamaica at a time when two major politicians were fighting head to head, the CIA were taking an unhealthy interest in Jamaica and gangs were travelling to the USA to become involved in major drug distribution.
The American cable channel HBO has already optioned screen rights to the book and indicated that award-winning screenwriter Eric Roth would be writing the script for a series based on the novel.
In addition to this latest honour, the book had previously won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in the USA. This is James’s third book and apparently when first looking for a publisher received 70 rejections before finally being accepted, which must give hope to all aspiring writers.
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.