Film-maker and writer Neil Jordan (55) has won the Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award at the 35th Listowel Writers' Week for his novel Shade, from a shortlist which included two Booker prize nominees.
Shade is his fourth novel and is a tale from beyond the grave centring on a 50-year-old woman and her murder.
Five novels were shortlisted for this year's €10,000 award by judges Emer O'Kelly and Carlo Gebler, including Booker nominees The Master by Colm Tóibín and Havoc, in Its Third Year by Ronan Bennett, and Swallowing the Sun by David Park and Doctor Salt by Gerard Donovan.
Jordan was not at the event, but delivered a video-recorded message to a gathering of writers, poets and Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O'Donoghue, who officially opened the festival last night. Previous winners of the Irish Fiction Award have included John McGahern, William Trevor and John Banville. Jordan was "a most worthy winner," Kerry Group director of corporate affairs Frank Hayes said.
Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko, journalists Robert Fisk and Fergal Keane, a nephew of Writers' Week founder John B Keane, writers Colm Tóibín and Roddy Doyle are among those taking part in the five-day event.