Surprise Orange winner

The Orange Prize for fiction has been awarded to a rank outsider, American author Valerie Martin.

Her novel Property took the £30,000 prize last night for the best novel in English written by a woman, beating bookies' favourites Zadie Smith and Donna Tartt.

The Orange judges - including budding novelist Sophie Dahl - deliberated for three hours at Lincoln's Inn Fields before choosing Ms Martin.

Chairwoman Ahdaf Soueif said the Missouri-born novelist's book "deals with a huge subject with originality.

It performs the difficult task of depicting dramatic events with stylish restraint".

Ms Martin, 54, said: "I know I am the dark horse but I suppose I had the stamina. But I am very surprised - I really didn't expect this and it is just wonderful."

Property follows the fortunes of the wife of a Louisiana sugar plantation boss who desperately misses her family life in New Orleans and bitterly resents her domestic binds. Ms Martin praised others on the shortlist, including Ms Tartt who the judges said came a very close second.

She also singled out Ms Smith and Carol Shields. Ms Smith, who was nominated for her second novel The Autograph Man, was unable to attend the ceremony as her father underwent a major operation yesterday. Ms Shields, who is battling against breast cancer, was also absent.

Ms Smith was also nominated for the Orange Prize for her debut novel White Teeth but did not win. When she failed to attend authors' readings for this year's award, some suggested Smith was snubbing the prize.

It was for that reason that she decided to reveal the reason for her absence, said a source last night.

"Zadie's dad has been ill - he was in hospital today for a second operation," said the source. "Gossips assumed she didn't turn up at the readings for some kind of political reason, because she didn't like the prize. That is why the information was announced tonight. It was very much Zadie's choice for it to be known."

Other finalists were Shena Mackay and Anne Donovan.