This week, a writer who is known for writing exactly what’s on his mind won a top literary award. Paul Beatty, author of the satire novel The Sellout, has caught the attention of readers for quite some time now. This time, he caught the attention of the Man Booker Prize. The award is an influential literary prize that judges works written in English and published in the U.K. during the year.
The Sellout follows the story of a young black man who was raised by a single father in Dickens, a town on the outskirts of Los Angeles. His father is later killed by police, and this sends the young man into despair. Realizing that his “agrarian ghetto” of a hometown is being taken off the map, he decides to reinstate slavery and segregate the local high school. His actions land him before the Supreme Court for an interesting turn of events.
The book is a dynamic read and it’s satire will keep you engaged. Judges of the Man Booker Prize clearly felt the same way when they awarded him the prize. The head of the judging panel, Amanda Foreman said, “The truth is rarely pretty, and this is a book that nails the reader to the cross with cheerful abandon. It plunges into the heart of contemporary American society.”
Beatty’s win is a first for Americans, who were just were recently allowed to be nominated in 2013. On his win, the author said, “It was a hard book for me to write; I know it’s hard to read. I’m just trying to create space for myself. And hopefully that can create space for others.”
Paul Beatty has broken another barrier showing that black excellence is seen worldwide.
