American author scoops Dundee International Book Prize 2016
An American author staves off the competition from an all female shortlist to take the prize money.
The American author Jessica Thummel scooped the £5,000 prize with her novel The Margins.
Set in 1989 it follows the story of trans-man Sam Gavin who moves from Kansas to San Francisco.
Readers wanting to get their hands on the award winning book will have to wait until 2017 as it is still to be published.
Jessica said: "The Margins and its characters have spent the better part of a decade in my mind, so the possibility of them existing in other's minds is both surreal and exhilarating."
She also won a publishing deal with Freight Books and one week's protected writing time in Dundee.
The shortlist included Shadow Jumping by Margaret Ries and London Clay by Amy Spencer.
Programme Manager for Literary Dundee Peggy Hughes said: "Jessica Thummel is a worthy winner of the 2016 Dundee International Book Prize. This has been a stellar year for the prize, with tough competition from a very fine shortlist."
The Book Prize is part of the Literary Book Festival running from Wednesday 19 until Sunday 23 October with this year's theme being language and how it brings people together.
The International Book Prize was judged by broadcaster Shereen Nanjiani, poet Ian McMillan, critic Hannah McGill and publisher Adrian Searle.