First-time US author wins IMPAC Dublin Literary Award

'Man Gone Down' by author Michael Thomas has scooped the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.

The literary prize is the world’s richest, worth €100,000.

Michael Thomas was born and raised in Boston but now lives in New York with his wife and three children.

His debut novel beat off competition from 145 titles, nominated by 157 public libraries across 41 countries.

The award is the largest and most international prize of its kind for a single work of fiction published in English. Presented annually to promote excellence in world literature, it is administered by Dublin City Public Libraries who seek nominations from public libraries from major cities across the world.