English novelist with wexford ties wins irish novel of the year

An English born author whose ancestors came from County Wexford has won the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year.

Kit de Waal from Birmingham won the award with her debut novel My Name is Leon. The award worth fifteen thousand euro was presented last night at an awards ceremony held to mark the opening of the 46th annual Listowel Writers' Week. The novel, about a young boy caught up in gang culture and the care system was shortlisted along with three other novels for the award.