Tahmima and Lawrence Hill get Commonwealth Writer's Prize

The Commonwealth Foundation bestowed the Overall Commonwealth Best Book and Best First Book Winners at the Franschhoek Literary Festival, South Africa on Sunday (May 18).

The Overall Best First New Book prize went to Tahmima Anam from Bangladesh for her book A Golden Age which was about the time and tides of struggle for Bangladesh's liberation in the 1970's. While Canadian Lawrence Hill's The Book of Negroes became the overall winner of the Best Book Award which is based on slavery in America in 18th century.

These two awards are chosen among regional awards given to several writers.

Europe and South Asia Indian author Indra Sinha's Animal’s People was bestowed Best Book of the year in Europe and South Asia by the Commonwealth Foundation and Tahmima Anam's The Golden Age received prize for the Best First Book.

Africa Best Book: Karen King-Aribisala (Nigeria) The Hangman's Game Best First Book: Sade Adeniran (Nigeria) Imagine This

Canada and Caribbean Best Book: Lawrence Hill (Canada) The Book of Negroes Best First Book: C S Richardson (Canada) The End of the Alphabet

South East Asia and South Pacific Best Book: Steven Carroll (Australia) The Time We Have Taken Best First Book: Karen Foxlee (Australia) The Anatomy of Wings

The Commonwealth Foundation is an intergovernmental organisation of 53 member nations which is aimed at encouraging fiction and to ensure that the works reaches to a wider audience across the world.

The regional award winner gets prize money of £5,000 British while the overall winner gets £10, 000 British. Awarded annually to the best fiction writer in the region this award also brings writers’ work for global audiences; outside their country of origin.