A Kent-born author has won the coveted 2017 Costa Children's Book Award.

Katherine Rundell, who was born in Pembury, was announced as the winner in the children's catgeory on BBC Radio 4 Front Row last night for her book, The Explorer.

The Costa Book Awards are the only major awards open solely to authors from the UK and Ireland and recognise the most enjoyable books in their categories.

Of the announcement, Katherine tweeted: "I’m so stunned and thrilled and wildly honoured that The Explorer has won the Costa Children’s Book Award. It was a superb shortlist and I know it will have been the closest of close calls."

Her book, The Explorer, is an adventure story about four children fighting for survival in the Amazon rainforest.

Her fourth book, it was inspired by an expedition she made to the Amazon, and Eva Ibbotson's Journey to the river Sea, which itself was shortlisted for the same award in 2001.

Katherine's book now goes through to a judging panel which will select the overall winner of the 2017 Costa Book of the Year, to be announced on Tuesday, January 30.