Paul Beatty has won the Man Booker prize – the first American author to do so.
The book, The Sellout, was described by Publisher’s Weekly as a "droll, biting look at racism in modern America”. It tells the story of a black farmer who is being tried by the Supreme Court over his attempts to reinstitute slavery and segregation at the local high school.
The Sellout was published by the independent publisher, Oneworld.
Amanda Foreman, chair of the Booker judging panel, said: “The Sellout is a novel for our times. A tirelessly inventive modern satire, its humour disguises a radical seriousness. Paul Beatty slays sacred cows with abandon and takes aim at racial and political taboos with wit, verve and a snarl.”
First awarded in 1969, the Man Booker Prize is regarded as the leading award for high quality literary fiction written in English.
Paul Beatty’s win was announced by Amanda Foreman at London’s Guildhall, where he was presented with a trophy from HRH The Duchess of Cornwall and a £50,000 cheque from Luke Ellis, Chief Executive of Man Group.
The Booker shortlist also included Scottish author, Graeme Macrae Burnett. The literary thriller His Bloody Project tells the story in memoir form of a brutal triple murder in the Highlands of Scotland.
Published by independent publishers Saraband Books, The Times described the novel as “gripping, blackly playful and intelligent”.
The book, The Sellout, was described by Publisher’s Weekly as a "droll, biting look at racism in modern America”. It tells the story of a black farmer who is being tried by the Supreme Court over his attempts to reinstitute slavery and segregation at the local high school.
The Sellout was published by the independent publisher, Oneworld.
Amanda Foreman, chair of the Booker judging panel, said: “The Sellout is a novel for our times. A tirelessly inventive modern satire, its humour disguises a radical seriousness. Paul Beatty slays sacred cows with abandon and takes aim at racial and political taboos with wit, verve and a snarl.”
First awarded in 1969, the Man Booker Prize is regarded as the leading award for high quality literary fiction written in English.
Paul Beatty’s win was announced by Amanda Foreman at London’s Guildhall, where he was presented with a trophy from HRH The Duchess of Cornwall and a £50,000 cheque from Luke Ellis, Chief Executive of Man Group.
The Booker shortlist also included Scottish author, Graeme Macrae Burnett. The literary thriller His Bloody Project tells the story in memoir form of a brutal triple murder in the Highlands of Scotland.
Published by independent publishers Saraband Books, The Times described the novel as “gripping, blackly playful and intelligent”.
