First Jamaican-Born Writer Wins Man Booker
October 14, 2015 7:56 AM Subscribe
For the first time, a Jamaican writer has won the Man Booker Prize for the best original novel written in English. Marlon James' 680-page A Brief History of Seven Killings is a fictional oral history of three decades of Jamaican life, using the real-life attempted assassination of Bob Marley in 1976 as its jumping-off point.
Seven Killings had previously won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award ("the only American book prize focusing on works that address racism and diversity") and the Minnesota Book Award, and was a finalist for the U.S. National Book Critic Circle Award. HBO has optioned the television rights.
Seven Killings had previously won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award ("the only American book prize focusing on works that address racism and diversity") and the Minnesota Book Award, and was a finalist for the U.S. National Book Critic Circle Award. HBO has optioned the television rights.
This was on my "to-read" list. It has just been bumped to the top.
posted by chatongriffes at 8:39 AM on October 14, 2015
posted by chatongriffes at 8:39 AM on October 14, 2015
Interesting stuff, thanks for the post!
posted by languagehat at 8:41 AM on October 14, 2015
posted by languagehat at 8:41 AM on October 14, 2015
Thanks to the recommendations by several Mefites in that thread, I read this a few months ago. It IS fantastic.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:57 AM on October 14, 2015
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:57 AM on October 14, 2015
I went to Macalester, where James teaches. It seems like the school actually went way out on a limb in hiring him (they don't have much of a creative writing program, and the other English professors are generally from a traditional academic background), so props to them.
posted by miyabo at 8:59 AM on October 14, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by miyabo at 8:59 AM on October 14, 2015 [6 favorites]
(fuck yeah small midwestern liberal arts college with small creative writing programs)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:03 AM on October 14, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:03 AM on October 14, 2015 [2 favorites]
What am I thinking. It was this thread.
It was Dip Flash's comments that really sold me. Thanks, Dip Flash!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:03 AM on October 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
It was Dip Flash's comments that really sold me. Thanks, Dip Flash!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:03 AM on October 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
So thrilled about this win. A Brief History of Seven Killings is probably one the of the most difficult books I've read, but it was also so searingly good of a read.
After reading the book, I read and then thought a lot about this interview with James in Guernica, especially the parts discussing explicit violence and explicit sex, and then about the about the value of close point-of-view / narrow perspective. I thought James did an excellent job with a large cast of characters, and the thoughtful, intricate, technical work that went into it is really something.
posted by mixedmetaphors at 9:16 AM on October 14, 2015
After reading the book, I read and then thought a lot about this interview with James in Guernica, especially the parts discussing explicit violence and explicit sex, and then about the about the value of close point-of-view / narrow perspective. I thought James did an excellent job with a large cast of characters, and the thoughtful, intricate, technical work that went into it is really something.
posted by mixedmetaphors at 9:16 AM on October 14, 2015
It is a fantastic book and he absolutely deserves the prize. I was so pleased to read this news.
posted by Dip Flash at 10:13 AM on October 14, 2015
posted by Dip Flash at 10:13 AM on October 14, 2015
This morning Minnesota Public Radio reran a 2014 interview with James, recorded shortly after A Brief History of Seven Killings was released. You can listen to the whole interview here.
posted by nathan_teske at 12:31 PM on October 14, 2015
posted by nathan_teske at 12:31 PM on October 14, 2015
I went to Macalester too and was pretty surprised by this because it's a tiny school not especially known for its creative writing program. Now I'm really excited to read it!
posted by lunasol at 4:23 PM on October 14, 2015
posted by lunasol at 4:23 PM on October 14, 2015
Another Macalalyte reporting! I was on campus (class of '09) when Marlon first came in board, and we all admired his Motörhead satchel.
After I graduated I think he took up cross-country skiing. He got pretty shredded, anyway.
Anyway props to him for racking up another way to be cooler than I'll ever be.
And, heh, why am I not surprised to see a relatively strong Macalester/Metafilter intersection?
posted by seinwave at 6:02 PM on October 14, 2015
After I graduated I think he took up cross-country skiing. He got pretty shredded, anyway.
Anyway props to him for racking up another way to be cooler than I'll ever be.
And, heh, why am I not surprised to see a relatively strong Macalester/Metafilter intersection?
posted by seinwave at 6:02 PM on October 14, 2015
As a fellow Mac grad, the news also made me feel pride.
posted by koucha at 6:43 AM on October 15, 2015
posted by koucha at 6:43 AM on October 15, 2015
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posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:19 AM on October 14, 2015 [2 favorites]