Belfast writer Anna Burns has won one of the world's top prizes in literature, for her Troubles set novel, Milkman.
The 58-year-old writer came out on top for the Dublin Literary Award, ahead of nine other books picked from a range of international authors.
This is another stunning achievement for Burns, who grew up in the Ardoyne area of North Belfast during the troubles.
The author had previously won the Man Booker Prize in 2018, which is widely regarded to be the most prestigious award in the book world. From this, Milkman has gone on to sell over half a million copies.
Burns' novel tells the story of an unnamed, 18-year-old woman living in Belfast during the Troubles. As she tries to carve out her own identity amidst the violence of the time, she's pursued and harassed by an older man, known as 'milkman', who has links to paramilitaries in the area.
Milkman was Burns' third novel, and by far her most successful.
Commenting today on her win, Anna Burns said: "What an honour. I’m thrilled to bits and am about to break into my sevens with the excitement of it all!
"This is an extraordinary honour – especially given the fantastic list I find myself on. I thank the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Hazel Chu, and Dublin City Council for being the patron and the host of this generous award. Also I salute them for representing Dublin’s position at the cultural heart of world wide literature."
Anna went on to praise libraries and talk about how much they meant to her as a child in Belfast.
She said: "To go from being a wee girl haggling over library cards with my siblings, my friends, neighbours, my parents and my aunt, to be standing here today receiving this award is phenomenal for me, and I thank you all again for this great honour."
Speaking at the winner announcement, Lord Mayor and Patron of the Award, Hazel Chu, remarked:
"What a wonderful book and massively talented writer! The judges should be very proud of their work as it wasn’t easy to choose a winner from among this very strong shortlist.
"I was so delighted to open that envelope and see Milkman written on the card! I wish to extend huge congratulations to Anna Burns."
