Its Finally come back round to Nomination month for the Costa awards 2015. The Book Awards were established by Whitbread in 1971 and encouraged, promoted and celebrated the enjoyment of reading. They became the Costa Book Awards in 2006.
Books are entered by their publishers, and entered into a series of categories including :Costa First Novel Award, Costa Novel Award, Costa Biography Award (includes Autobiography and Memoir), Costa Poetry Award, Costa Children’s Book Award and Costa Book of the Year.
Short-lists for the five Costa Book Awards will be announced in November. Award winners will be announced in early January 2016, with the overall winner to be announced in late January 2016.
Each Award will be judged by a panel of three judges. The final nine-member judging panel selects the overall Costa Book of the Year. It consists of a Chairman, a judge from each category panel and three other people who love reading.
COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD
Hannah Beckerman – Author and Journalist
Lauren Hadden – Deputy Editor, Psychologies Magazine
Matt Haig – Writer
COSTA NOVEL AWARD
Louise Doughty – Novelist
David Headley – Managing Director, Goldsboro Books
Cathy Rentzenbrink – Books Editor, The Bookseller; Director, Quick Reads
COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD
Simon Heafield – Marketing Manager
Foyles Penny – Junor Biographer
Jane Shilling – Author and Critic
COSTA POETRY AWARD
Julia Copus – Poet and Children’s Author
Adam Newey- Poetry Critic
Melanie Prince – Co-Owner of The Poetry Bookshop, Hay-on-Wye
COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD
Martyn Bedford – Writer
Melissa Cox – Head of Children’s Buying for Waterstones
Andrea Rees – Managing Editor, Books for Keeps; Children’s Books Reviewer and Specialist
The winners and runners up for each category win a series of cash prizes from £500 -£30,000 depending on category and placing, for more information you can have a look at the official website on : http://www.costa.co.uk/costa-book-awards/welcome/
Last years winners include the following :
2014 BOOK OF THE YEAR
H is for Hawk Helen Macdonald, Random House Publishing
First Novel Award
Elizabeth is Missing Emma Healey, Viking Publishing
Novel Award
How to be both Ali Smith, Hamish Hamilton Publishing
Biography Award
H is for Hawk Helen Macdonald, Random House Publishing
Poetry Award
My Family and Other Superheroes Jonathan Edwards, Seren Publishing
Children’s Book Award
Five Children on the Western Front Kate Saunders, Faber & Faber Publishing
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I look forward to reporting to you all in November what the short-listed nominee’s are for this year’s awards, and to report on any further developments and the eventual winners of this years competition. Until then, read more books.
Between|the|Blurb 