DAILY Echo journalist Faith Eckersall is celebrating after winning a prestigious award for her writing.

She was presented with the Grazia Magazine Women's Prize for Fiction First Chapter Award at the Women's Prize for Fiction Awards in London's Bedford Square on Wednesday.

The chapter was started off by Paula Hawkins, the best-selling author of The Girl on the Train and began a story entitled Favourite Child. Faith was one of more than 700 writers who finished the chapter and sent it to the competition which was judged by Paula Hawkins and two senior staff members of Grazia magazine.

Presenting the award, Grazia editor Hattie Brett said: "As you'd expect, there was fierce debate amongst the judges but one entry really stood out. Thanks to an intensely off-kilter twist and a darkly ambivalent central character, we were so intrigued we wanted to read more."

Following her award, Faith was able to see the Woman's Prize for Fiction awarded to Kamila Shamsie, for her novel Home Fire.

The event was attended by some of UK publishing's biggest names, including new Dorset author, Libby Page, whose debut novel The Lido came out recently, and Sarah Waters, Howard Jacobson, and Kathy Lette.

As part of her prize, Faith will now be meeting editors and agents in the industry.

Speaking afterwards Faith said: "I feel very humbled and grateful to receive this award. I've been writing all my life and won many awards for my journalism but, like most journalists, I've always wanted to write a book - in my case the kind of novel people buy at the airport or wander round the house reading because they can't bear to put it down.

"It has been fantastic to receive this recognition for my work as well as meeting so many amazing and successful agents and women writers, including Paula Hawkins, on the night. It's the inspiration I need to finally finish my novel."