Irish tale of British squalor wins prize
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.William Trevor, the veteran Irish novelist, last night won the Whitbread Book of the Year prize for his disturbing tale of serial killing in the suburbs, Felicia's Journey. Trevor, 66, won the novel category for the third time when the shortlist w as announced last year but this is the first time he has progressed to win the overall prize of £21,000.
The judges are understood to have been split between men and women. Most women judges apparently felt less keen on the novel, which centres on an English catering manager who has killed a number of women.
Sue Townsend, creator of Adrian Mole, said: "I suppose we were reading it at a time when Fred West was prominent. You couldn't help making connections. I'm sure West was also totally banal, going about with his sand and his cement."
Terry Waite, the former hostage, was also on the judging panel. "He's got that sinister blend of benovelence and evil and you're never quite sure which is going to predominate," he said. The winning novel which has also won the 1994 Sunday Express Book of the Year, tells of the search by Felicia, a young Catholic girl from Ireland, for the father of the baby she is carrying. Her quest for the lover who left her no address turns into a hideous initiation into post-Thatcher Britain, a world of squalor, religious freaks, homelessness and casual murder.
Trevor was born in Mitchelstown, Co Cork. His previous novels that won the Whitbread novel category, were the 1976 The Children Dynmouth and Fools of Fortune, published in 1983.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments