Professor's poetry tribute to late wife scoops book prize

Christopher Reid's A Scattering was inspired by the death of former Grange Hill actress Lucinda Gane, who played science teacher Miss Mooney, after she lost her fight against cancer in 2005.

The collection beat bookies' favourite Brooklyn by Irish author Colm Toibin.

Its win marks only the sixth time the award has been made for a collection of poetry. Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes have won the award twice each previously.

The final judging panel was chaired by Irish novelist Josephine Hart and included Spandau Ballet star Gary Kemp, actresses Dervla Kirwan and Caroline Quentin and writer and model Marie Helvin.

Hong Kong-born Prof Reid, 60, professor of creative writing at the University of Hull, included four poetic sequences in his work; the first written during his wife's final illness and the remaining three at intervals following her death.

Announcing the award, Ms Hart described it as a "master work" and added: "We feel that what Christopher Reid did was to take a personal tragedy and to make the emotion and the situation universal.

"It is bizarrely life-enhancing because it speaks of the

triumph of love before and after death."

She added: "It's packed with lines that are unforgettable...We all felt that this is a book we would wish everyone to read from late adolescence, 14 to 15 years old onwards...

"The fact the genesis of something is personal does not detract from it as long as it's kept under artistic control.

"We regard this work as austere and beautiful and moving."

The prize was unveiled last night at an awards ceremony in central London.

Prof Reid, who was married to Gane for the best part of 30 years, said of his award: "I'm delighted and bewildered to be the recipient of this important literary prize.

"The book itself was difficult to write but it's had a very happy time since it fell into the hands of my publisher... and has been on a number of shortlists for prizes.

"What could I be but delighted... It's a grand prize and it's rather marvellous to be caught up in the full razzmatazz of it as I have just this minute."

Prof Reid acknowledged that writing the book helped him come to terms with his loss to some extent.