A novel about a winged circus performer has been namedthe best winner of Britain's oldest literary award.Nights At TheCircus by the late Angela Carter was chosen as the best fictional work to havewon the James Tait Black Prize since its creation, in 1919.
The 1984 novelhas beaten works by an array of literary giants, and judges said it showed"fabulous exuberance" and had wonderfully drawn characters.
Past winners ofthe annual prize include greats such as DH Lawrence.
Evelyn Waugh,EM Forster and Salman Rushdie were also past recipients.
This one-off"best of the best" award was made to celebrate the 250th anniversaryof English literature study at the University of Edinburgh.
The winningbook focuses on the life and exploits of Sophie Fevvers, a winged circusperformer who travels across Europe from London to the tundra of Siberia.
'Wonderful work'
It was selectedby a judging panel including broadcaster Kirsty Wark and former MI5 directorgeneral Dame Stella Rimmington. They praised writing which showed"vitality, lightness, passion and fun".
The five otherbooks which made the final shortlist were: The Heart Of The Matter by GrahamGreene; A Disaffection by James Kelman; The Road by Cormac McCarthy; CrossingThe River by Caryl Phillips; and The Mandlebaum Gate by Muriel Spark.
The winner wasannounced by broadcaster Sally Magnusson at a ceremony in London.
RegiusProfessor Greg Walker, chair of James Tait Black Prizes, said: "Since 1919the James Tait Black Awards have represented the very best in fiction andbiographies, and it was a great honour to be able to revisit and celebratethese wonderful pieces of work."
Awarded by theuniversity's school of literatures, languages and cultures, the prizes werefounded by Janet Coats, widow of publisher James Tait Black, to commemorate herhusband's love of reading.
Two prizes,each worth £10,000, are awarded annually by the university for the best work offiction and the best biography published in the previous year. They are theonly major British book awards to include scholars and students on the judgingpanel.
Source: BBC
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