Moira Young
Canadian-born author Moira Young has won a British book prize for her debut novel, Blood Red Road.
The New Westminster, B.C.-born writer has been honoured with a Costa Book Award for children's literature, which carries a prize of £5,000 (almost $8,000).
Set in a dystopic future, the young adult page-turner follows an 18-year-old named Saba who sets off on a quest in search of her kidnapped twin.
The film rights to the tale have reportedly been snapped up by Oscar-nominated director Ridley Scott.
Blood Red Road is the first in a planned trilogy from Young, a former actress, dancer and opera singer who has relocated to the U.K.
The Costa Book Awards honour the most enjoyable books of the year by writers based in the U.K. and Ireland.
Other winners this year included: Andrew Miller's Pure for best novel; Christie Watson's Tiny Sunbirds Far Away for best first novel; Matthew Hollis's Now All Roads Lead to France: The Last Years of Edward Thomas for the biography award; and Carol Ann Duffy's The Bees for the poetry award.
All five books are still in the running for Costa's ultimate prize, book of the year, which is worth £30,000 (about $47,000).
The winner will be announced on Jan. 24.