British Pakistani author Kamila Shamsie has scooped the Women’s Prize For Fiction for Home Fire, a novel which speaks “for our times”.

The award, formerly the Orange and then the Baileys prize, celebrates women’s writing from around the world.

Shortlisted novels are Elif Batuman’s The Idiot,  Imogen Hermes Gowar’s The Mermaid And Mrs Hancock, Jessie Greengrass’s Sight, Meena Kandasamy’s When I Hit You and Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing.

Kamila ShamsieKamila Shamsie (Zain Mustafa)

Home Fire is the seventh novel by Shamsie, who wins £30,000.

Sarah Sands, chair of the judges, said that “in the end we chose the book which we felt spoke for our times.

“Home Fire is about identity, conflicting loyalties, love and politics. And it sustains mastery of its themes and its form. It is a remarkable book which we passionately recommend.”

The prize was awarded at a ceremony in London.