The Booker Prizes celebrates the world’s most outstanding fiction, whether written in or translated into English, and each month they shine a spotlight on a different book from the Booker Library.
This month they are celebrating Marlon James’ A Brief History of Seven Killings with a reading guide, an extract, an exclusive interview and a chance to win a copy of the book. Access the Booker Monthly Spotlight today
We will be sharing the Booker Prizes Monthly Spotlight for you to enjoy each month.
Introducing the Booker Prizes March Monthly Spotlight: A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
A Brief History of Seven Killings was James’ third novel – an extraordinary feat of research combined with a dazzling display of storytelling. It won the Booker Prize 2015, making him the first Jamaican to win the prize. It also won the American Book Award and the Anisfield-Wolf Award for Fiction, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.
Spanning three decades, the novel revolves around the near-mythical attempted assassination of singer-songwriter Bob Marley at his home in Jamaica. Though the reggae icon survived, the gunmen were never caught. With politicians on all sides of the spectrum desperate for Marley’s support, many felt that attack was politically motivated.
James expands this moment into a vast, continent-crossing narrative featuring a shadowy cast of street kids, drug lords, journalists, politicians, prostitutes, gunmen, and secret service agents.
Despite Marley’s global fame, the assassination attempt was largely forgotten outside Jamaica by the 21st century. James’ novel revived awareness of the unsolved event, in a book the Booker judges unanimously praised for its ‘startling range of voices and registers,’ calling it ‘a classic of our times’.
The Booker Prizes are offering a reading guide for A Brief History of Seven Killings, an extract, an exclusive interview and the chance to win a copy of the book and a Booker Prize tote bag.
The International Booker Prize 2025
The Booker Prizes have announced the longlist for this year’s Booker Prize – the world’s most influential prize for a single work of fiction.
Featuring a full thirteen authors making their International Booker Prize debut, the longlist packs big themes for all readers.
Find out all about the longlist here.
Get your digital pack here.
Get involved
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