First novelist sensation, Tea Obreht, captures the 2011 Orange Prize for Fiction

Thu, 06/09/2011 - 11:40am by sernabad

Tea Obreht, who blasted into the media spotlight with her stunning debut novel The Tiger's Wife, has won the prestigious international 2011 Orange Prize for Fiction.

Obreht, who was born in the former Yugoslavia, emigrated to the U.S. in 1997. She learned English by watching Disney movies, and has now earned rave after rave review for her first novel which is narrated by Natalia, a young Balkans doctor who learns of the death of her grandfather. Natalia sets out on a journey to retrieve a package he has left for her.

Ms. Obreht, 25, is the youngest author to capture this British-based prize, which comes with a purse worth about $49,000.