London, June 10: A 63-year-old Oxford don, who teaches Russian literature, has won Britain's richest award for non-fiction with his first book, a biography of Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. T J Binyon, who combines teaching Russian literature with writing crime thrillers, won the 30,000 pounds BBC 4 Samuel Johnson prize here last night for the biography, 'Pushkin'.
The book has been described as a masterpiece and first serious study of the Russian poet by the judges.

Binyon has also written two crime novels - 'swan song' and 'Greek gifts' - and a history of fictional detectives.
Binyon spent a period in the former Soviet Union and has taught Russian literature at the Leeds University.

The other short-listed books were - 'the devil that danced on the water' by Aminetta Forna, 'Natasha's dance' by Orlando Figes, 'Dr Tatiana's sex advice to all creation' by Olivia Judson and 'Nelson: Love and fame' by Edgar Vincent. Bureau Report