Lionel Shriver has won the BBC National Short Story Award 2014 for her story 'Kilifi Creek'.
This was the third time Shriver had been shortlisted for the Award, and she picked up the main prize of £15,000 at the ceremony held in the BBC's Radio Theatre in London.
Chair of judges and BBC Creative Director and presenter, Alan Yentob, said:
'From a fantastic shortlist, Lionel Shriver's 'Kilifi Creek' stood out as a wonderful evocation of life in miniature, crossing continents and generations. She is a worthy and deserved winner in an exciting year when the short story has taken centre stage. Shriver proves that short really is sweet and it's never been sweeter than now.'
An American writer who lives in London, Lionel Shriver is the author of 11 novels. She is best known for the New York Times bestsellers So Much for That and The Post-Birthday World, as well as the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin. She is also an accomplished short story writer, having made the BBC National Short Story Award shortlist in both 2009 and 2013.
When asked about tackling short stories, Lionel said: “'I love working in a form that doesn't consume a couple of years. Ironically, low temporal risk can facilitate high-risk style and content. In a short story, you can try anything.“
Zadie Smith was selected as this year's runner-up, receiving £3,000 for her story 'Miss Adele Amidst the Corsets' in which an ageing American performer comes face-to-face with a multitude of resentments while buying undergarments on the East Side of New York City.
The three other shortlisted authors, Tessa Hadley, Francesca Rhydderch and Rose Tremain, received £500.
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