A work weaving Brexit and folklore has won the BBC National Short Story Award.
Jo Lloyd has been praised for her tale The Invisible, and has won the £15,000 annual cash prize.
Her story blends the historical with the topical, exploring themes of social division.
She was picked as the winner from an all-female shortlist cut down from around 900 entries.
Chair of judges, and BBC Radio 4 broadcaster Nikki Bedi said: “The Invisible was the unanimous winner and we all found many and different things to love and admire in it.
“The story is unplaceable but deeply resonant. The Invisible’s themes touch on wealth and class, what can be seen and not seen, and what’s precious and what should be valued in the world.
Finally, @nikkibedi takes to the stage to announce the winner of the #BBCNSSA 2019 – she says it was a pleasure to re-read them all, and see which one stood out the most pic.twitter.com/7OJOLaAFDR
— ed public relations (@ed_pr) October 1, 2019
“You will read, and re-read it, and be richer every time.”
Lloyd hails from South Wales, and her story follows a community in 18th century Caernarvonshire, and fantastical claims of an invisible mansion.
The writer was presented with the prize of £15,000 at a ceremony at Broadcasting House, with the news announced on the BBC’s front row.
BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University has been running for 14 years.