Events

[LIT] For years Marlon James wrestled with the voices in his head; voices of characters speaking to the life and struggle of the Jamaica of his youth. It wasn’t until after writing several disparate short stories and novellas that a friend hinted he was hitting into a common thread. And then, James bought a “really big notebook” and started compiling narrative threads and characters, dozens of them—CIA agents, gang members, unemployed receptionists, politicians and operatives—and tied them to a signature historical moment: the assassination attempt of Bob Marley in 1976. James’ Man Booker Prize-winning A Brief History of Seven Killings was born, a sprawling 700-page work told by his rotating cast of voices, many of whom speak in a distinctive Jamaican patois. Beyond the big prize, James has collected accolades and acclaim from around the literary world for Brief History and his other books, and he’ll be joining Buffalo’s literary conversation this Wednesday, October 19 for the 2016 season’s inaugural BABEL event put on by Just Buffalo Literary Center at Kleinhan’s Music Hall. Read our interview with Marlon James, here.