Melbourne-raised writer Nam Le has taken out the $140,000 Dylan Thomas Prize for his short story collection The Boat. The prize, named after Welsh poet Dylan Thomas is awarded to the best writer in the English language under 30. The Boat is a collection of short stories which take reader from the slums of Colombia to the streets of Tehran; from New York City to Iowa City; and from a tiny fishing village in Australia to a foundering vessel in the South China Sea. In the opening story, a young writer is urged by his friends to mine his father's experiences in Vietnam and it becomes an exploration of homeland, and the ties between father and son. For details about the prize go to: http://www.thedylanthomasprize.com/news-events.htm