Ferdia Lennon wins Waterstones debut fiction prize for “riotous” novel Glorious Exploits

‘Greek comedy has something of the ribald, irreverent humour I grew up with in Dublin’ … Ferdia Lennon. Photograph: conorhorgan.com/Conor Horgan

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.