Mary Rokonadravu is the first Fijian to win a Commonwealth Writers Prize.

Her story titled “Famished Eels”, which took more than 15 years to write, has won the Commonwealth short story prize for best piece of unpublished fiction in 2015.

Dr Mohit Prasad of the University of the South Pacific says he is proud of her achievement.

“It’s something that’s going to provide a particular bench mark that others will try and emulate because it is a significant prize that you’re one amongst five of the best writers of short fiction out of the commonwealth.”

Ema Decoster from the Commonwealth foundation has encouraged more participation from the region as Mary is the first Pacific Islander to win such a prize.