Patti Smith wins prestigious book award

Singer-songwriter Patti Smith has won the National Book Award in the non-fiction category.

Smith earned the honour for her memoir Just Kids, according to Rolling Stone.

The book, published in 2010, documents her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

Along with a bronze statue, Smith was given a cheque for $10,000.

Previous winners include Saul Bellow, Gore Vidal, Philip Roth and William Faulkner.