A Writing Soundtrack By Marlon James

Minneapolis-based writer Marlon James is having a big month after winning the prestigious 2015 Man Booker Prize for A Brief History of Seven Killings, his novel inspired by the attempted assassination of Bob Marley in the 1970s.

MN Original was thrilled to film with Marlon earlier this month for an episode set to premiere in January 2016. Our crew followed him around to some of his favorite Twin Cities spots including Cheapo Records, a place he frequents at least once a week.

Writing to a soundtrack is important to Marlon who told us, “Music is a huge part of the creative process for me. Maybe it’s a Jamaican thing but so much of what we do is to music.”

So what does the award-winning author like to listen to while he writes? We asked him to name some artists who were on rotation while working on A Brief History of Seven Killings.

So put on your headphones and scroll down for a a selection of Marlon’s writing playlist:

Look for Marlon James on a new season of MN Original premiering January 2016 on Twin Cities PBS.