Kamila Shamsie's 'Home Fire' bags cash prize of £10,000

Author was awarded London Hellenic Prize for the best book inspired by or relating to Greece

After winning the Women's Prize for Fiction 2018, getting shortlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature and long-listed for the Man Booker Prize 2017, British-Pakistani author Kamila Shamsie's novel Home Fire has now bagged the London Hellenic Prize 2017 too, reported The Guardian.

The book is a modern re-imagination of the ancient Greek tragedy of Sophocles's Antigone. Shamsie was awarded a cash prize of £10,000 for the best book inspired by or relating to Greece. The prize celebrates "the cultural cross-fertilisation of the Greek and English-speaking worlds."

PHOTO: TWITTER

A statement on the official Hellenic Prize website read, "Upon conclusion of a heated debate in the grounds of New College, Oxford, Kamila Shamsie was chosen as the winner of the 2017 Prize for her novel Home Fire." The book won the award against submissions from 102 authors and 33 publishers received from across the globe.

PHOTO: TWITTER

The writer took to Twitter to share her joy. Responding to author Maha Khan Phillip's tweet, Shamsie wrote, "You can't ask for more than the combo of winning a prize and being introduced by one of your favourite writers/people."

You can't ask for more than the combo of winning a prize and being introduced by one of your favourite writers/people. #londonhellenicprize https://t.co/HHfoW9C9DM

— Kamila Shamsie (@kamilashamsie) November 27, 2018

The announcement of the prize was made back in October 15, 2018. However, the official ceremony was held last night at King’s College London.

Home Fire is currently in the running for the $25k DSC Prize for South Asian Literature

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