Manchester, England -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/21/2015 -- Jamaican born writer, Marlon James, has won the 2015 Man Booker prize with his novel A Brief History of Seven Killings published by Oneworld.

This is the second year that the prize has been open to authors of any nationality. The only restriction is that the work is to be written in English and published in the UK.

The judges were taken by surprise with James' book as it's a piece that is full of violence and swearing. But, it's also peppered with humour which brings humanity to the story. The panel was unanimous in its decision.

'Shocked and amazed' that he won, James joins the acclaimed list of Man Booker prize winners which include literary giants such as Salman Rushdie, Margret Atwood and Iris Murdock. As well as having his profile raised by this win, his name will feature on the Royal Mail postmark for four days following the prize giving.

Now living in Minneapolis, most of James' literary sensibility was formed in Jamaica. In an interview with the BBC James said, "Jamaican music and lyrics in particular was the first to convince me that the voice that I spoke normally, the voice of the market, the voice that came out of our own mouths was fine enough to tell serious literature. And Reggae taught me that." It's no surprise then that the book was inspired by the attempted murder of Bob Marley in 1976.

If you love writing and would like to find your voice to write a novel then there's plenty of help available. The Writers Bureau offer a range of home-study Creative Writing Courses where your writing is assessed by a professional, published writer.

Susie Busby, Principal of The Writers Bureau said, "Congratulation to Marlon James on his win. I find his comments about writing in his voice most interesting and inspiring. This is one of the ways we help our students. Many have commented on how working with their tutor has helped them to build confidence in their writing and find their unique voice. When an author writes in their own voice this lends authenticity to their writing and helps them to stand out."

For more information about the courses run by The Writers Bureau, you can visit their website here www.writersbureau.com or call them on 0161 819 9922

Media Contact:
Susie Busby
The Writers Bureau, 8-10 Dutton Street, Manchester, M3 1LE, England
Tel: 0161 819 9922
Email: studentservices@writersbureau.com