Tyrone-born Nick Laird was last week named as the most promising Poet of 2005 by the Ireland Chair of Poetry Trust.
The prize is awarded by the Trust to 'a poet of promise', on the nomination of poet and Ireland Professor of Poetry, Paul Durcan.
Laird, who was born in 1975 in County Tyrone, lived in Warsaw and Boston before settling in London. He is married to fellow author Zadie Smith.
His debut poetry collection, 'To a Fault', was published in January of this year, followed by his first novel, 'Utterly Monkey', in May.
In the announcement, Durcan said: "It does not happen often, but it does happen: A first book of poems is published and a star is born. Such a book is 'To a Fault' and such a new-born star is Nick Laird. I am, therefore, delighted to nominate Nick Laird for the Ireland Chair of Poetry Prize."
The Prize entitles Laird to a period of residence in artists' retreat, The Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig, to enable him to pursue his writing.
