Jamaican Author Marlon James has Successful UK Tour

Internationally acclaimed Jamaican author, Marlon James has successfully completed his first United Kingdom (UK) tour, having made a number of appearances in London late April to promote his award-winning second novel The Book of Night Women.
The author, made three public appearances on the tour, reading at the Bookslam at the Tabernacle in Notting Hill; giving a talk to students and signing books at Newham College; and conducting a reading and book signing at Waterstone’s bookstore in Islington.
All of the events were well attended and Mr. James told JIS News that he was very pleased by the turnout and also by the diversity of the people who came to see him.
The Kingston-born author, who is a Professor of Literature and Creative Writing at Macalester College in Minnesota, United States published his debut novel, John Crow’s Devil in 2005 to great critical acclaim. The book, set in rural Jamaica is a dark, gothic tale of the struggle between good and evil. It was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize, was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times’ Book Prize and was a New York Times Editors’ Choice.
His second novel, The Book of Night Women, released in 2009, has had an even better reception. This story of female slaves, set in the plantations of Jamaica at the turn of the 19th Century, which James insisted on writing entirely in the Jamaican patois of the era, has been nominated for a host of literary awards.
It was a finalist for the National Book Critics’ Circle Award, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Award, was named New York Magazine’s third best book of the year, and won the Minnesota Book Award.
Mr. James, who is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, told JIS News that he is planning to return to the UK for the 2010 Edinburgh Book Festival in August.