London: Hari Kunzru, one of Britain's most promising novelists, refused to accept the country's second- oldest literary award for his debut 'The Impressionist', sponsored by the 'Daily Mail', because of the daily's hostility towards Britons of Black and Asian origin.

Kunzru, the son of a Kashmiri doctor and an English mother, was not present in London last night (Nov 20) to receive the John Llewellyn Rhys literary award worth 5000 Pounds.

Instead, his agent read his explosive statement, which said Kunzru rejected the award because of what he called the paper's consistent "hostility towards Black and Asian British people".

He claimed the 'Daily Mail' and the 'Mail on Sunday', which sponsored the prize, "pursue an editorial policy of vilifying and demonising refugees and asylum-seekers".

"As the child of an immigrant, I am only too aware of the poisonous effect of the Mail's editorial line. The atmosphere of prejudice it fosters translates into violence and I have no wish to profit from it," the statement said, according to today's (Nov 21) 'The Guardian' daily.

The 33-year-old author who was at a family wedding in New Delhi only discovered he had made the shortlist last week.

He was not even aware that his publishers had entered him for the prize.

While thanking the judges, Kunzru explained in his statement, "'The Impressionist' is a novel about the absurdity of a world in which race is the main determinant of a person's identity. My hope is that one day the sponsors of the John Llewellyn Rhys prize will join with the judges in appreciating this."

Meanwhile, he asked for the prize money to be donated to the Refugee Council.

'The Mail on Sunday' has agreed to give the cash to the campaign group, one of the Mail's least favourite charities.

PTI