Grace McCleen wins Desmond Elliot Fiction Prize

Grace's debut novel, published by Chatto & Windus, was announced as the winner of the £10,000 prize last night

This year is the fifth anniversary of the prize, which was set up in memory of publisher and literary agent Desmond Elliott to 'enrich the careers of new writers.'

The other two novels on the shortlist of three were The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (Doubleday) and The Last Hundred Days by Patrick McGuinness (Seren).

Sam Llewellyn, chair of judges, said: ‘The Land of Decoration is a novel that can move the reader from sadness to laughter with alarming suddenness. Grace McCleen's voice sparkles with imagery and ideas, and she uses it to tell a story that is simultaneously multi-layered and absolutely compelling.’

Website: www.desmondelliottprize.org