The only bunch of keen readers in Britain who are not at liberty to visit bookshops yesterday won a national prize for their consoling habit.

The "book loving fools" of High Down prison reading group, Surrey, trounced 160 other entrants to win the Penguin/Orange prize.

Members have regretfully had to decline part of the reward - a free trip to the Edinburgh book festival. That has gone to the delighted and slightly more mobile runners-up, the Isle of Islay book group.

But the other part of the prize, a prison visit by Nick Hornby, author of Fever Pitch, brought happiness to the group's Arsenal supporters.

The Surrey bookworms found eloquent scope in a section of the contest asking for 500 words on what made their group special. One wrote:

   "Reading group comes as a breath of fresh air
   A monthly release when close to despair
   A freewheeling forum for expression of thought,
   Analysis, criticism, witty retorts
   Reading group means the distinct absence of rules
   A nice coffee and biscuits with other book loving fools."

One prisoner in the group, identified as Jamie, said: "The chance to meet Nick Hornby is incredible."

High Down also beat the Black reading group (Walsall), Congleton NWR book group (Cheshire), Crosby reading group (Liverpool), and Red Deer readers (Sheffield) in the prize shortlist.

Kay Hadwick, prison librarian and group founder, said yesterday: "The group operates in a trusting environment where disagreement in reading choices never results in confrontation.

"[It] offers members a relaxed forum and enables prisoners to escape the daily irritations of prison life."

The prize, in its fourth year, aims to spotlight groups which "illustrate individuality, reflect diversity of reading choices and demonstrate the pleasure of shared reading".