The Gallows Pole by Benjamin Myers wins the world's leading literary prize for historical fiction the WALTER SCOTT 2018

Benjamin Myers has won the £25k Walter Scott prize 2018 with his novel THE GALLOWS POLE. It is the world's leading literary prize for historical fiction. Previous winners include Hilary Mantel, Sebastian Barry and Robert Harris.

The judges who included BBC Newsnight presenter KIRSTY WARK and BBC TODAY presenter James Naughite, said THE GALLOWS POLE is 'A Roaring furnace of a novel. A big story about a small place. Benjamin Myers portrays a social upheavel which has a sharp contemporary echo.'

The Royal Mail will be franking 30 million letters with the winners name and prize logo, Winner of the Walter Scott 2018 Prize.

www.walterscottprize.org.uk