Tarell Alvin McCraney, the writer who penned the play which inspired the Oscar-nominated film Moonlight, has won an award from PEN America.

The literary and human rights organisation named Tarell, 36, best mid-career playwright for creating the play, which never made it to the stage and was bypassed by producers before it was picked up by director Barry Jenkins and adapted for the big screen.

The story follows the life of a young man as he grows up in a rough area of Miami, faced with drug problems, domestic abuse and the challenges of his own sexuality.

Topdog/Underdog writer Suzan-Lori Parks was honoured with the Master American Dramatist award.

Matthew Desmond won the award for non-fiction with Evicted, and the award for literary sports writing went to Joe Nocera and Ben Strauss for Indentured: The Inside Story Of The Rebellion Against The NCAA.