As Kevin Powers wins the 14th Guardian first book award with his novel of the Iraq war, The Yellow Birds, we ask the judges about the shortlisted books and find a champion for each title. Lisa Allardice, chair of the prize, tells us why The Yellow Birds won, and we track Powers down to a motel in Texas to ask how the novel came about and how close it is to his own experiences serving as a machine-gunner in the US army.
Reading list:
The Yellow Birds, by Kevin Powers (Sceptre)
