Speaking on behalf of the judging panel, Carole Burns said: “We all loved this book, for its story, for its ambition, for its sentences, for its relevance to our world today.”
“Excellence is always the only criteria, in the end, for a prize, and that’s true for this winning book,” she added.
Speaking after the ceremony, Literature Wales’ artistic director Leusa Llewelyn congratulated all the writers and publishers who reached the shortlist, and said it was “an incredible night for Welsh literature”.
“Special congratulations to Carys Davies for being crowned winner of the overall prize for her beautifully subtle yet evocative novella, Clear,” she added.