Cork writer lands prestigious prize worth $165,000

A Cork author has received one of the most prestigious - and lucrative - literary awards, earning a massive cash prize of $165,000 (€146,000).

Danielle McLaughlin became the third Irish writer in recent years to win the Windham-Campbell Prize.

“It was like a miracle,” she told the Guardian. “Arriving at a time when I was experiencing a bit of a wobble, psychologically, in my writing life. In a sense, it was like an answer to a question I had started asking myself.”

The award, open to those who write in English. Its purpose is to “call attention to literary achievement” and allow writers to “focus on their work independent of financial concerns”.

Ms McLaughlin, 50, only took up writing 10 years ago after she stopped practising law after falling ill.