Sandwich board man’s book prize

A writer who once worked as a sandwich board man has won a £10,000 literary prize.

Edward Hogan last night won the Desmond Elliott Prize for his novel Blackmoor, set in his native Derbyshire during the miners' strike.

The judges of the prize for first novels, now in its second year, said the work was "beautifully crafted and dazzlingly well- written".

The novel tells the story of a bird-watching teenager living a difficult life near a mysterious vanished village in Derbyshire - Blackmoor - and his search for the truth about his mother's life and death there.

Hogan, originally from Derby, who lists his former occupations as "grass-strimmer, pot-washer, conservatory salesman, bloke holding the board in Leicester Square and teacher", started the book seven years ago with no thought of having it published.

"I was four when (the strikes) happened, in West Hallam," he said.

"I couldn't really remember it but to me it seemed like such an integral part of the community."