A WRITER from Llanidloes has been awarded funding from one of the UK’s largest literary unions.

Reginald Massey, 85, was awarded the P.D. James Memorial Fund by The Society of Authors.

The £2,200 award is given by the society’s committee to long-term members who are writers, illustrators and literary translators.

The writer, poet and former London journalist and his award-winning actress wife Jamila have lived in Llanidloes for more than three decades.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and in 2013 was awarded the Freedom of the City of London.

“I’m very happy to have won this prestigious award,” said Reginald.

“Writers never retire, there’s no such thing as retirement!”

Mr Massey has written for national newspapers such as The Guardian and The Independent, and has written several books on a variety of subjects ranging from politics to art and culture.

The Society of Authors has awarded the Llanidloes-based writer the fund based on literary merit and “long and continuous membership”.

The fund was initiated and funded by the bestselling English crime writer who created the memorable detective and accomplished poet Adam Dalgliesh.

Baroness James of Holland Park served as a Governor of the BBC, and in 1997 she was elected President of the Society of Authors, stepping down from the post in August 2013.