The Costa Book Awards launched 45 years ago (previously known as Whitbread Book Awards 1971-2006) to encourage, promote and celebrate the best contemporary British writing.
Today’s awards don’t require you to be British but you do have to reside in the UK or Ireland for at least 6 months a year, of each of the previous three years, and your book submission must have been published initially in the UK.
Uniquely, the Costa Book Awards celebrate five different categories independently: First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children’s Books. From these category awards an overall annual winner is selected to receive an additional £25,000 prize and the coveted title of Costa Book of the Year!
Over the past decade we have seen winners in the form of novels, poetry and biographies and this year a children’s book has been crown the Costa Book of the Year 2015.
Costa Book of the Year Winner – The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
This gripping dark tale of murder, lies and secrets can be borrowed from the University Library.
Be sure to check out our Costa Book Awards display in the University Library foyer (next to the returns machine) for other Costa shortlisted titles.
First Novel Award Winner – The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley
Novel Award Winner – A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson
Biography Award Winner – The Invention of Nature: The Adventures of Alexander Von Humboldt, the Lost Hero of Science by Andrea Wulf
Poetry Winner – 40 Sonnets by Don Paterson
Children’s Book Winner – The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge