LISDOONVARNA writer Bill Bradshaw has finished a tough year on a high note after his third book scooped him a prestigious international award.

The plot of his third book, Delphine, is described as a horror story, exploring moral taboos and family dynamics in a fictional Clare town. In recent days, it earned Bill the prestigious Kite Award from the World Authors organisation.

The novel fought off stiff international competition, but judges chose it from a highly competitive field, describing it as a “searing supernatural thriller”.

The former prison officer and Rathkeale native isn’t resting on his laurels, with two more novels in the pipeline and plans to turn Delphine into a six-part Netflix series.

Delphine has already won several awards in the US and the film script took honours in Tokyo, Estonia, the UK and Canada, where it picked up the Fear of the Year Award in Toronto.