An author and professor of creative writing at the University of Dundee has won a major short story prize.

Kirsty Gunn was one of six authors shortlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story which she has won for the collection Infidelities, published by Faber and Faber.

Her collection includes stories about love and marriage and was praised by judges for its haunting imagery and the beauty of its style.

Professor Gunn, also known for her award winning book The Big Music, will receive £5000 for winning the main award.

She said: "It is a tremendous honour and surprise to be awarded the Edge Hill Prize.

"I am absolutely delighted to have won this terrific prize - and join the line of past winners like John Burnside and Colm Toibin."

Originally from New Zealand, Gunn has written five works of fiction, including short stories and a collection of fragments and meditations.

Her work has been adapted for screen and stage and has attracted several awards, including Scottish Book of the Year 1997.

In addition to winning the Edge Hill prize, she has also been shortlisted for the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award.

Dr Ailsa Cox, co-ordinator of the award, said: "This shortlist shows the huge range and diversity of short story writing today, and how many risks writers are taking with the form, with stories based on, amongst other things, twitter fiction, autobiographical memories, oral history and role-playing games.

"All of these collections are winners.

"All contain powerful personal versions and test the language to its limits. In the end we chose Kirsty Gunn's Infelicities for its haunting imagery and the beauty of its style. Sentence by sentence, Infidelities shows us the short story's ability to take us straight to the heart of the mystery."