For Jamaicans in Bermuda, the awarding of the 2015 Man Booker Prize to the author Marlon James stands as a testament to the resourcefulness and resilience of their people.

The October 13 presentation also marks the first occasion in the 47-year history of the literary prize that a Jamaican artist has won.

The third novel from Mr James, ‘A Brief History of Seven Killings’, is plotted around the December 1976 attempt by gunmen to murder Bob Marley against a backdrop of intense political tension and violence in Jamaica.

“While personally I am yet to read the piece that afforded Mr James his winning, it is nonetheless an honour and a sense of national pride for the Jamaican Association of Bermuda whenever any Jamaican does well nationally or internationally,” said Orville Campbell, the group’s president.

“We believe it speaks loudly to the creativity and resiliency of our people to fight on, even in the face of rejection on the road towards their dreams.

“Indeed, we have a shining example of resiliency and determination in Mr James’s story, in that he was turned down some 78 times by various publishers before getting his break. Today, having seen his success and the recognition bestowed upon him for his hard work, we as an association are truly encouraged and proud of his strides.”

The latest award was just the second time that a Caribbean author has won the Man Booker, after Trinidadian author VS Naipaul took the prize in 1971 for his novel ‘In a Free State’.

Offering congratulations on behalf of the West Indian Association of Bermuda, president Chandra Persaud added: “It is indeed a proud time for Jamaicans and West Indians alike to see such an honour bestowed on a person of Caribbean descent.”

The WIA has been a keen champion of Caribbean literature: in 1998 the group supported a Bermudian performance of the play ‘Remembrance’, by the St Lucian author Derek Walcott to Bermuda, which was attended by Mr Walcott.