Canadian author Lawrence Hill has won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for “The Book of Negroes.”
Hill, who lives in Burlington, Ont., has said he worked for years the novel, without knowing if he would emerge with a valuable book.
The prize – worth C$19,300 – was handed out over the weekend at a literary festival in South Africa.
“The Book of Negroes” is about a West African woman who is sold into slavery in South Carolina and ultimately returns to Africa.
Meanwhile, Tahmima Anam of Bangladesh won the best first book prize for “A Golden Age.” Her prize is worth about C$10,000.
Hill is set to travel to London for an audience with Queen Elizabeth.
