Eimear McBride has just won the Goldsmiths Prize.

I'm a bit too chuffed to type anything that makes real sense. so I'm going just going to say "YES! YES! OH BOY! WELL DONE EIMEAR!" She deserves to win and Elly and Henry and I are very proud to have been among the first to realise how talented she is.

Here's our press release:

Eimear McBride has won the 2013 Goldsmiths Prize for her novel, A Girl Is A Half-formed Thing.

This is the inaugural year for the £10,000 prize that is given to a work judged to be "genuinely novel and which embodies the spirit of invention that characterises the genre at its best."

It's a remarkable turnaround for a book that was initially rejected by all major publishers and which was only brought into print, nine years after Eimear first wrote it, by Norwich-based indie publisher Galley Beggar Press.

Galley Beggar co-director Sam Jordison says: "We always knew that Eimear was wonderful and it's great to have that faith confirmed. As soon as we read Girl we were sure that it should be published, and that it would find readers. We were also certain that this book was very important. In fact, we saw printing is as a duty. We were prepared to go bankrupt in order to get it out there. Happily, this prize makes that eventuality seem increasingly unlikely. We're also ecstatic that Eimear has been launched upon the world. This is the start of a very exciting career and we're all very proud to be working with such an astonishing writer. I hope Eimear is going to be one of the most important writers of our generation. It's amazing to see her take off."

And fellow co-director Eloise Millar says: "One of the greatest pleasures in my work at Galley Beggar Press so far has been working through the proofs of A Girl is a Half-formed Thing with Eimear McBride. Sitting long into the night, turning each page alongside Eimear – ticking off each tiny adjustment and turn of phrase – I got to witness first-hand the final drafting of a novel that I truly believe will go on to be a classic, and the meticulous craft and absolute attention to detail of a woman who, with her debut, has proved herself as among the very best of contemporary writers. It's been nothing if not an honour, and here at Galley Beggar Press we are proud to be the champion of such a worthy winner, as well as thrilled that Goldsmiths and the New Statesman have set up such a fantastic new prize, celebrating ambition in modern writing."

We love this book!

You can buy copies of the book in all good bookstores and our own eccentric and charming online store too.

And if you're still reading and are feeling generous, we've now got another print run to pay for! Any donations would be very much appreciated at the moment!