Vibrant, violent ‘ Troubles’ tale wins Man Booker Prize

ANNA Burns has won the prestigious Man Booker Prize for fiction with Milkman, a vibrant, violent story about men, women, conflict and power set during Northern Ireland’s years of Catholic- Protestant violence.

Burns is the first writer from Northern Ireland to win the £50,000 ($ A92,000) prize, which is open to English- language authors from around the world. She received her trophy from Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, during a ceremony at London’s Guildhall.

Milkman is narrated by a young woman dealing with an older man who uses family ties and political loyalties as weapons of sexual coercion.

It is set in the 1970s, but was published amid the global eruption of sexual misconduct allegations that sparked the “Me Too” movement.

“I think this novel will help people to think about ‘ Me Too,’ and I like novels that help people think about current movements and challenges,” said philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah, who chaired the judging panel.

“But we think it’ll last – it’s not just about something that’s going on in this moment.”

Burns beat five other novelists, including the bookies’ favourites: American writer Richard Powers’ tree- centric eco- epic The Overstory and Canadian novelist Esi Edugyan’s Washington Black, the story of a slave who escapes from a sugar plantation in a hot- air balloon.