London, Oct 15: Australian author DBC Pierre has won the 2003 Booker Prize for his first novel, Vernon God Little. Pierre takes home a £50,000 cheque - as well as the bonus of the extra sales and publicity a Booker win gives.
Vernon God Little is about a high school massacre in Texas, and the head of the judges, called it a "coruscating black comedy reflecting our alarm but also our fascination with America".
Pierre, 42, is the third Australian to win the prize in its 35th year, following in the footsteps of Peter Carey and Thomas Keneally.
The chairman of the judges, Professor John Carey, said his team chose Pierre by a margin of four to one.
"The language is extremely vivid, most inventive, it's extremely exciting and very funny," he added.
Born Peter Finlay, his pseudonym refers to his nicknames, Dirty But Clean and Dirty Pierre.
At the weekend, he admitted to spending much of his life in a drug-induced "haze" - which led to him selling a friend's house and pocketing the proceeds. The prestigious award is for the best novel of the last 12 months by an author from a Commonwealth country or the Republic of Ireland.
Also nominated were Margaret Atwood, who won in 2000, plus Damon Galgut, Zoe Heller, Clare Morrall, and bookies' favourite Monica Ali.
Bureau Report