Described as a ‘masterclass in tragicomedy’, the novel, set in Syracuse in 412BC, follows two locals who decide to stage Medea in a quarry using prisoners as actors

Ferdia Lennon has won this year’s Waterstones debut fiction prize for his “riotous, exuberant treat of a novel”, Glorious Exploits.

The novel, which took about seven years to write, is set in Syracuse in 412BC, in the aftermath of Athens’ failed invasion of Sicily. It follows two locals who decide to stage an adaptation of Medea in a quarry where Athenian soldiers are held captive, using the prisoners as actors.