Costa Book Awards1999

Given by Costa Coffee

Other Names: Whitbread Book Awards (1971-2005), Costa Book of the Year, Whitbread Award, Whitbread Book of the Year, , Whitbread first novel prize
19 Works / 20 Items 149,700 Books 1,723 Reviews 4.3
From 1971 to 2021 the Costa Book award was one of the most prestigious and popular literary prizes in the UK and recognised some of the most enjoyable books of the year by writers based in the UK show more and Ireland. The Costa Book Awards is unique in many ways, not least in having five categories: First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book. The winner in each category receives £5,000. One of these five books is selected as the overall winner of the Book of the Year and receives a further £25,000, making a total prize fund of £50,000. It is the only prize which places children's books alongside adult books in this way.


The Costa Book Awards started life in 1971 as the Whitbread Literary Awards. From 1985 they were known as the Whitbread Book Awards until 2006, when Costa Coffee took over ownership - the year that both Costa and the Book Awards celebrated their 35th anniversary. Since 1971, the awards have rewarded a wide range of excellent books and authors across all genres.


Since the introduction of the overall Book of the Year Award in 1985, it has been won seven times by a novel, three times by a first novel, five times by a biography, five times by a collection of poetry and once by a children's book. The 2021 Costa Book Awards held in February 2022 was our 50th and final awards. show less
Stages:
All, Winner (400), Shortlist (647)
Categories:
All, Biography (131), Book of the Year (12), Children's Book (129), First Book (2), First Novel (124), Novel (136), Poetry (115), No Category (10)
Years:
All, 2021 (20), 2020 (20), 2019 (20), 2018 (19), 2017 (20), 2016 (19), 2015 (18), 2014 (19), 2013 (19), 2012 (20), 2011 (20), 2010 (19), 2009 (20), 2008 (20), 2007 (20), 2006 (20), 2005 (21), 2004 (21), 2003 (22), 2002 (20), 2001 (21), 2000 (25), 1999 (20), 1998 (18), 1997 (23), 1996 (24), 1995 (20), 1994 (6), 1993 (6), 1992 (6), 1991 (6), 1990 (6), 1989 (6), 1988 (6), 1987 (6), 1986 (6), 1985 (6), 1984 (4), 1983 (5), 1982 (4), 1981 (4), 1980 (3), 1979 (3), 1978 (3), 1977 (3), 1976 (3), 1975 (3), 1974 (5), 1973 (3), 1972 (3), 1971 (3)

Winner 20

WorkCategoryYear
Berlioz: Volume Two: Servitude and Greatness, 1832-1869 by David CairnsBiography1999
Bruce Chatwin by Nicholas ShakespeareBiography1999
The Unknown Matisse by Hilary SpurlingBiography1999
Meeting Midnight by Carol Ann DuffyChildren's Book1999
Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael MorpurgoChildren's Book1999
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. RowlingChildren's Book1999
The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline WilsonChildren's Book1999
The Great Ideas by Suzanne CleminshawFirst Novel1999
White City Blue by Tim LottFirst Novel1999
Our Fathers by Andrew O'HaganFirst Novel1999
A Foreign Country by Francine StockFirst Novel1999
Being Dead by Jim CraceNovel1999
Headlong by Michael FraynNovel1999
Chocolat by Joanne HarrisNovel1999
Music & Silence by Rose TremainNovel1999
Beowulf by Beowulf PoetPoetry1999
Alcestis by EuripidesPoetry1999
Approximately Nowhere: Poems (Faber Poetry) by Michael HofmannPoetry1999
The Eyes (Faber Poetry) by Don PatersonPoetry1999
Beowulf by Beowulf Poet1999

Shortlist 20

WorkCategoryYear
Berlioz: Volume Two: Servitude and Greatness, 1832-1869 by David CairnsBiography1999
Bruce Chatwin by Nicholas ShakespeareBiography1999
The Unknown Matisse by Hilary SpurlingBiography1999
Meeting Midnight by Carol Ann DuffyChildren's Book1999
Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael MorpurgoChildren's Book1999
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. RowlingChildren's Book1999
The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline WilsonChildren's Book1999
The Great Ideas by Suzanne CleminshawFirst Novel1999
White City Blue by Tim LottFirst Novel1999
Our Fathers by Andrew O'HaganFirst Novel1999
A Foreign Country by Francine StockFirst Novel1999
Being Dead by Jim CraceNovel1999
Headlong by Michael FraynNovel1999
Chocolat by Joanne HarrisNovel1999
Music & Silence by Rose TremainNovel1999
Beowulf by Beowulf PoetPoetry1999
Alcestis by EuripidesPoetry1999
Approximately Nowhere: Poems (Faber Poetry) by Michael HofmannPoetry1999
The Eyes (Faber Poetry) by Don PatersonPoetry1999
Beowulf by Beowulf Poet1999

Descriptions

From 1971 to 2021 the Costa Book award was one of the most prestigious and popular literary prizes in the UK and recognised some of the most enjoyable books of the year by writers based in the UK and Ireland. The Costa Book Awards is unique in many ways, not least in having five categories: First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book. The winner in each category receives £5,000. One of these five books is selected as the overall winner of the Book of the Year and receives a further £25,000, making a total prize fund of £50,000. It is the only prize which places children's books alongside adult books in this way.


The Costa Book Awards started life in 1971 as the Whitbread Literary Awards. From 1985 they were known as the Whitbread Book Awards until 2006, when Costa Coffee took over ownership - the year that both Costa and the Book Awards celebrated their 35th anniversary. Since 1971, the awards have rewarded a wide range of excellent books and authors across all genres.


Since the introduction of the overall Book of the Year Award in 1985, it has been won seven times by a novel, three times by a first novel, five times by a biography, five times by a collection of poetry and once by a children's book. The 2021 Costa Book Awards held in February 2022 was our 50th and final awards.

(English, Member-written)
discontinued (Russian, Member-written)

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