Kerry Hudson's TONY HOGAN BOUGHT ME AN ICE CREAM FLOAT BEFORE HE STOLE MY MA is now on the highly selective shortlist for the Author Club's Best First Novel Award. The prize was first awarded in 1954, and this year's winner will be announced by guest adjudicator Salley Vickers at a National Liberal Club drinks reception on 3 June. Extracts from the shortlisted novels will be read out during a shortlist reading at Foyles Bookshop, 15 May at 6:30. For more information, please click here.

TONY HOGAN... was published in July 2012 by Chatto & Windus, and was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award and Scottish First Book of the Year. Kerry's second novel THIRST will be published by Chatto. Kerry is part of the judging panel for the Green Carnation Prize 2013. Follow her on Twitter here.

Praise for TONY HOGAN...:

'What a brilliant thing to turn the chaos and trauma of a hectic childhood into a debut novel as colourful, funny, joyful and compelling as this.' - The Guardian

'This is a remarkable debut novel of love and loyalty, of fierce passion and scabrous wit.' - Foyles

'From the (unrepeatable) hilarious first sentence, this debut sucks you in with its idiosyncratic style... Kerry Hudson's writing is very funny, and her deft touches give the book a reality that makes it all the more powerful. Hudson certainly has a bright future.' - We Love This Book