Author Wins Pulitzer for Tale of Slavery

Edward P. Jones was awarded the Pulitzer Prize on Monday for his book "The World Known," about a black slave owner.

Jones, 53, took 10 years to write the book due to his slow writing style and taking the occasional day off when he was not in the mood to write, according to Fox news. He was able to finish the book after being laid off from his job as a proofreader at a trade publication in 2002.

"The World Known" won the National Book Critics Circle prize last month. This is the second book for Jones, who is the son of a single, illiterate mother. His first book, "Lost in a City," was published in 1993 and is a collection of short stories depicting life in Washington, D.C between the 1950s and 1970s.

Jones is currently working on his third book, "All Aunt Haggar's Children," which is also a collection of short stories.