AN ENGLISH teacher and poet has been shortlisted for a national book award.

Jonathan Edwards, who has taught at Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls for nine years, is in the running for the Costa Book Awards 2014.

The imaginative writer has been shortlisted in the poetry category with his book My Family and Other Superheroes.

The winner of the competition's five categories receives £5,000 with the overall book of the year winner receiving £30,000.

Mr Edwards said: "It's just amazing. There's a glittering array of names on the shortlist.

“Some of the names are authors that I teach the girls about in school, like Michael Morpurgo."

The awards are the only major UK literary prize open only to writers who live in the UK and Ireland, and previous winners include Zadie Smith, author of White Teeth.