Barbados-born Austin Clarke was awarded the 2002 Giller Prize Tuesday during a glitzy ceremony in Toronto.

Clarke won the coveted literary prize for his novel The Polished Hoe, which is set in the West Indies in 1952.

In his acceptance speech, the Toronto author said he felt rewarded after a lifetime of hard work. In his 40-year career, Clarke has written five short story collections and nine novels.

Austin Clarke

"It is a personal gratifying feeling that something I've written is worthy of such an honourable, auspicious prize," said Clarke.

Clarke's novel spans the life of a woman on a post-colonial West Indian island, yet takes place in 24 hours.

Jury members called the novel "an eloquent composition, part slave narrative, part love ballad, part Shakespearean opera, sung against the backdrop of one woman's life."

Jack Rabinovitch

The annual prize, worth $25,000, goes to the author of the best Canadian novel or short story collection in English.

The three-person jury started the selection process by reading 194 books. From there, the list was narrowed down to the final five candidates.

Other nominees included Carol Shields for Unless, Wayne Johnston for The Navigator of New York,, Lisa Moore for Open and Bill Gaston for Mount Appetite.

Toronto businessman Jack Rabinovitch established the prize in 1994 to honour his late wife, literary journalist Doris Giller.