Kevin Jared Hosein wins £25,000 Walter Scott Prize for Hungry Ghosts

Kevin Jared Hosein has won the £25,000 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction for his novel Hungry Ghosts (Bloomsbury). The book is set in Trinidad during the 1940s and tells the story of the marginalised Hindu communities on the island. 

The winner was announced at the Borders Book Festival in Melrose on 13th June by Matthew Maxwell Scott, a descendant of Walter Scott. He commented: "As Scott was the inspiration for the genre of historical fiction, we hope this year’s nominees and winner can inspire many more authors in their writing careers. Those of us involved in preserving Abbotsford and Scott’s legacy could not be prouder to associate ourselves with this wonderful prize and its supremely gifted recipients."

The event also honoured a descendant of the Indian Caribbean diaspora. This year’s judging panel comprised Kirsty Wark, James Naughtie, Elizabeth Laird, Saira Shah and James Holloway, and was chaired by Katie Grant. 

The judges commented: "Richly imaginative, urgent and compelling, Hungry Ghosts plunges us into the turbulence of precarious lives struggling to flourish amid the vivid natural lushness of 1940s Trinidad. For the 2024 Walter Scott Prize Kevin Jared Hosein has triumphed with a many-layered tale woven with the dexterity and alchemy of the true storyteller."

When accepting the award, Hosein said it was "truly a privilege to be shortlisted and to have Trinidad and Tobago be represented on such an impressive stage. Moreover, I feel like I am accomplishing the dreams of my ancestors when they first crossed those dark seas from India almost two centuries ago."