Author Ness wins Booktrust prize

Ness has previously written two books for adults

Patrick Ness has been awarded the Booktrust Teenage Prize 2008 for his novel The Knife of Never Letting Go.

The novel, about a world where women are banished and men can hear each others' thoughts, won Ness £2,500.

The award honours the best in contemporary writing for teenagers and was presented at a ceremony in London.

Other shortlisted books included The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner, Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz and Creature of the Night by Kate Thompson.

Apache by Tanya Landman, and Anthony McGowan's The Knife That Killed Me completed the line-up.

The Knife of Never Letting Go was original and completely gripping Viv Bird, director of Booktrust

The winning book was described as a "striking mixture of thriller, science fiction and literary tour de force" by writer Amanda Craig, who was chair of the judges.

"In a strong year for young adult fiction, the judges selected six novels that we all felt were outstanding for the scope of their imagination, their originality, their writing and their appeal," she said.

"The Knife of Never Letting Go made the judges laugh, cry and debate its contents with passion."

Ms Craig was joined on the judging panel by librarian Emma Sherriff, author Julia Bell, children's books specialist John McLay, and five young judges.

'Impressive' shortlist

Viv Bird, director of Booktrust praised Ness's "remarkable book".

"The Booktrust Teenage Prize attracts some great authors and this year was no exception," she said.

"With an impressive shortlist of compelling and well-written novels, The Knife of Never Letting Go was original and completely gripping."

The Knife of Never Letting Go also won this year's Guardian Children's Fiction prize.

Previous winners of the Booktrust prize, which was launched in 2003, include Mark Haddon for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and Anthony McGowan for Henry Tumour.