The Discovery of France by Graham Robb won the £10,000 (US$19,838) Ondaatje Prize, which honors books that "evoke the spirit of a place." According to the Guardian, Robb, a literary and cultural historian, "cycled through 14,000 miles of French countryside as part of the research for his latest book."
"I'm thrilled by the award because it refers to an aspect of the book that has more to do with the writing than with brute research," said Robb. "It's also an honour for a non-fiction writer to be on a shortlist with poets and novelists."
The shortlist included Darkmans by Nicola Barker, The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin's Russia by Orlando Figes, On Brick Lane by Rachel Lichtenstein, Paradise with Serpents by Robert Carver and Sea Holly by Robert Minhinnick .