A Commonwealth Writers' Prize winner from Pakistan says he's dedicating his award to customs officers who detained him for two hours in Auckland.
Mohammed Hanif's work A Case of Exploding Mangoes was named best first book at the awards held in Auckland on Saturday.
The Slap by Australian author Christos Tsiolkas won the overall best book prize, worth about $26,000.
Mr Hanif says he almost didn't attend the ceremony after his experience at the airport, which he said made him feel like a terrorist.
But he says he didn't like the idea of another 28 hour flight to get home.
He says he travels frequently and discrimination against people with Muslim names is now pretty commonplace.
Mr Hanif says people in Auckland have been hospitable and warm since.
The chair of the judging panel, Justice Nicholas Hasluck, says both winning books are ground-breaking, thought provoking and risk-taking.
Christos Tsiolkas says it was exciting even to be chosen as a finalist.
The two winners were chosen from eight regional winners of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa.
