A British author, Andrew Miller, has won the world's most valuable literary prize for a single work of fiction with his first novel, "Ingenious Pain" -- a story about an eighteenth century man who is unable to feel pain.

The Irish-based prize -- the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award -- is worth one-hundred-and-fifty thousand dollars.

Mr Miller was chosen from a list nominated by more than a hundred public libraries in fifty countries around the world. Correspondents say the IMPAC award was launched three years ago in a drive to highlight Dublins reputation as a literary capital.