Can an unheard-of writer win a literary prize?

Can an unheard-of writer win a literary prize?

Derek Johns (Managing Director - AP Watt Literary Agency) gives expert video advice on: Can a first-time writer win a literary prize?; Why are prizes important?; How are books submitted for judging? and more...

My client, Yann Martell, who won the Booker Prize for his book "Life of Pi" in 2002. Yann Martell was an obscure Canadian writer no-one had ever heard of. "Life of Pi" sold two million copies in this country alone.