Costa Book AwardsNovel

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
136 Works 0 Books
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 (4), 2020 (4), 2019 (4), 2018 (4), 2017 (4), 2016 (4), 2015 (4), 2014 (4), 2013 (4), 2012 (4), 2011 (4), 2010 (4), 2009 (4), 2008 (4), 2007 (4), 2006 (4), 2005 (4), 2004 (4), 2003 (4), 2002 (4), 2001 (4), 2000 (5), 1999 (4), 1998 (3), 1997 (5), 1996 (6), 1995 (5), 1994 (1), 1993 (1), 1992 (1), 1991 (1), 1990 (1), 1989 (1), 1988 (1), 1987 (1), 1986 (1), 1985 (1), 1984 (1), 1983 (1), 1982 (1), 1981 (1), 1980 (1), 1979 (1), 1978 (1), 1977 (1), 1976 (1), 1975 (1), 1974 (1), 1973 (1), 1972 (1), 1971 (1)

Winner 84

WorkYear
Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller2021
The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey2020
Middle England by Jonathan Coe2019
Normal People by Sally Rooney2018
Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor2017
Days without End by Sebastian Barry2016
A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson2015
How to Be Both by Ali Smith2014
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson2013
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel2012
Pure by Andrew Miller2011
The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell2010
Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín2009
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry2008
Day by A. L. Kennedy2007
Restless by William Boyd2006
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby2005
Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie2005
The Accidental by Ali Smith2005
Cotton by Christopher Wilson2005
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson2004
Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernières2004
The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst2004
Small Island by Andrea Levy2004
The Lucky Ones by Rachel Cusk2003
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon2003
Heligoland by Shena Mackay2003
Frankie and Stankie by Barbara Trapido2003
White Lightning by Justin Cartwright2002
Spies by Michael Frayn2002
Rumours of a Hurricane by Tim Lott2002
The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor2002
The Siege by Helen Dunmore2001
Atonement by Ian McEwan2001
Oxygen by Andrew Miller2001
Twelve Bar Blues by Patrick Neate2001
Fred and Edie by Jill Dawson2000
What Are You Like? by Anne Enright2000
When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro2000
English Passengers by Matthew Kneale2000
How the Dead Live by Will Self2000
Being Dead by Jim Crace1999
Headlong by Michael Frayn1999
Chocolat by Joanne Harris1999
Music & Silence by Rose Tremain1999
The Catastrophist by Ronan Bennett1998
Leading the Cheers by Justin Cartwright1998
The Travelling Hornplayer by Barbara Trapido1998
The Untouchable by John Banville1997
Quarantine by Jim Crace1997
Grace Notes by Bernard MacLaverty1997
Enduring Love by Ian McEwan1997
Bleeding London by Geoff Nicholson1997
Every Man for Himself by Beryl Bainbridge1996
Cocaine Nights by J. G. Ballard1996
Mr Clive and Mr Page by Neil Bartlett1996
Asylum by Patrick McGrath1996
Last Orders by Graham Swift1996
Worst Fears by Fay Weldon1996
The Moor's Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie1995
Felicia's Journey by William Trevor1994
Theory of War by Joan Brady1993
Poor Things by Alasdair Gray1992
The Queen of the Tambourine by Jane Gardam1991
Hopeful Monsters by Nicholas Mosley1990
The Chymical Wedding by Lindsay Clarke1989
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie1988
The Child in Time by Ian McEwan1987
An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro1986
Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd1985
Kruger's Alp by Christopher Hope1984
Fools of Fortune by William Trevor1983
Young Shoulders by John Wain1982
Silver's City by Maurice Leitch1981
How Far Can You Go? by David Lodge1980
The Old Jest by Jennifer Johnston1979
Picture Palace by Paul Theroux1978
Injury Time by Beryl Bainbridge1977
The Children of Dynmouth by William Trevor1976
Docherty by William McIlvanney1975
The Sacred and Profane Love Machine by Iris Murdoch1974
The Chip-chip Gatherers by Shiva Naipaul1973
The Bird of Night by Susan Hill1972
The Destiny Waltz by Gerda Charles1971

Shortlist 136

WorkYear
Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller2021
The High House by Jessie Greengrass2021
The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed2021
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak2021
The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey2020
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke2020
Peace Talks by Tim Finch2020
The Less Dead by Denise Mina2020
Middle England by Jonathan Coe2019
Starling Days by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan2019
Confession With Blue Horses by Sophie Hardach2019
Shadowplay by Joseph O'Connor2019
Normal People by Sally Rooney2018
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker2018
The Italian Teacher by Tom Rachman2018
From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan2018
Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor2017
Under a Pole Star by Stef Penney2017
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie2017
Tin Man by Sarah Winman2017
Days without End by Sebastian Barry2016
This Must Be the Place by Maggie O'Farrell2016
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry2016
The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain2016
A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson2015
The Green Road by Anne Enright2015
A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale2015
At Hawthorn Time by Melissa Harrison2015
How to Be Both by Ali Smith2014
The Lives of Others by Neel Mukherjee2014
House of Ashes by Monique Roffey2014
Nora Webster by Colm Tóibín2014
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson2013
Unexpected Lessons in Love by Bernardine Bishop2013
Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell2013
All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld2013
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel2012
Life! Death! Prizes! by Stephen May2012
The Heart Broke In by James Meek2012
Days of the Bagnold Summer by Joff Winterhart2012
Pure by Andrew Miller2011
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes2011
A Summer of Drowning by John Burnside2011
My Dear I Wanted to Tell You by Louisa Young2011
The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell2010
Whatever You Love by Louise Doughty2010
The Blasphemer by Nigel Farndale2010
Skippy Dies by Paul Murray2010
Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín2009
Family Album by Penelope Lively2009
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel2009
The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson2009
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry2008
A Partisan's Daughter by Louis de Bernières2008
The Other Hand by Chris Cleave2008
Trauma by Patrick McGrath2008
Day by A. L. Kennedy2007
Skin Lane by Neil Bartlett2007
Death of a Murderer by Rupert Thomson2007
The Road Home by Rose Tremain2007
Restless by William Boyd2006
Saving Caravaggio by Neil Griffiths2006
A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon2006
Black Swan Green by David Mitchell2006
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby2005
Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie2005
The Accidental by Ali Smith2005
Cotton by Christopher Wilson2005
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson2004
Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernières2004
The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst2004
Small Island by Andrea Levy2004
The Lucky Ones by Rachel Cusk2003
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon2003
Heligoland by Shena Mackay2003
Frankie and Stankie by Barbara Trapido2003
White Lightning by Justin Cartwright2002
Spies by Michael Frayn2002
Rumours of a Hurricane by Tim Lott2002
The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor2002
The Siege by Helen Dunmore2001
Atonement by Ian McEwan2001
Oxygen by Andrew Miller2001
Twelve Bar Blues by Patrick Neate2001
Fred and Edie by Jill Dawson2000
What Are You Like? by Anne Enright2000
When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro2000
English Passengers by Matthew Kneale2000
How the Dead Live by Will Self2000
Being Dead by Jim Crace1999
Headlong by Michael Frayn1999
Chocolat by Joanne Harris1999
Music & Silence by Rose Tremain1999
The Catastrophist by Ronan Bennett1998
Leading the Cheers by Justin Cartwright1998
The Travelling Hornplayer by Barbara Trapido1998
The Untouchable by John Banville1997
Quarantine by Jim Crace1997
Grace Notes by Bernard MacLaverty1997
Enduring Love by Ian McEwan1997
Bleeding London by Geoff Nicholson1997
Every Man for Himself by Beryl Bainbridge1996
Cocaine Nights by J. G. Ballard1996
Mr Clive and Mr Page by Neil Bartlett1996
Asylum by Patrick McGrath1996
Last Orders by Graham Swift1996
Worst Fears by Fay Weldon1996
The Moor's Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie1995
The Information by Martin Amis1995
The Ghost Road by Pat Barker1995
In Every Face I Meet by Justin Cartwright1995
The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro1995
Felicia's Journey by William Trevor1994
Theory of War by Joan Brady1993
Poor Things by Alasdair Gray1992
The Queen of the Tambourine by Jane Gardam1991
Hopeful Monsters by Nicholas Mosley1990
The Chymical Wedding by Lindsay Clarke1989
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie1988
The Child in Time by Ian McEwan1987
An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro1986
Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd1985
Kruger's Alp by Christopher Hope1984
Fools of Fortune by William Trevor1983
Young Shoulders by John Wain1982
Silver's City by Maurice Leitch1981
How Far Can You Go? by David Lodge1980
The Old Jest by Jennifer Johnston1979
Picture Palace by Paul Theroux1978
Injury Time by Beryl Bainbridge1977
The Children of Dynmouth by William Trevor1976
Docherty by William McIlvanney1975
The Sacred and Profane Love Machine by Iris Murdoch1974
The Chip-chip Gatherers by Shiva Naipaul1973
The Bird of Night by Susan Hill1972
The Destiny Waltz by Gerda Charles1971

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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