Andrew Michael Hurley wins another award

Andrew Michael Hurley’s Lancashire-set debut novel has been named book of the year at the British Book Industry awards.

The Loney, dubbed “a gothic masterpiece” by The Guardian,  was originally published in a limited run of 300 before being picked by Jon Murray and bagging the Costa first novel award back in January.

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MORE: The Loney wins Costa first novel award

Andrew has had stints working as a manager at Kirkham library and teaching English Language at Runshaw College to give him the means to write in his spare time.

He currently lives in Fulwood and the book has a film deal with DNA Films and Film 4.

The Loney notably beat off competition from Harper Lee’s Go Set A Watchman and Paula Hawkins’s The Girl on the Train.

Speaking to The Guardian, Hurley described the setting as being inspired by Preston.

He said: “It was a place you were warned away from by parents: ‘You don’t go to the Loney as strange people hang out there.’ Of course, all kids went there.

“When it came to writing my novel I had my title immediately. I just had to lift it from Preston and put it on the coast.”