A South Korean novelist has won the Shirley Jackson Award, a renowned American prize given to the best horror and suspense stories. 

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea said on Tuesday that “The Hole” by Pyon Hye-young was named the winner of the prestigious prize on Sunday. 

The 46-year-old female writer won the best novel category for 2017 over four other finalists, including American writers Dan Chaon, Victor Lavalle, and Paul La Farge and Canada’s David Demchuk. 

Established in 2007, the Shirley Jackson Awards are given out for the best psychological stories in various categories, including novel, novella, novelette, short story, collection and anthology. 

Pyon’s novel centers on a college professor crippled by a traffic accident, which also kills his wife. Sora Kim-Russell translated the novel into English.