Thursday 22 January 2009

Costa Award Winners 2008

The Secret ScriptureCosta, the UK's largest and fastest-growing coffee shop chain, has announced the Costa Book Awards 2008 winners in the Novel, First Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book categories. Each category-winning author receives £5,000. The Costa First Novel Award winner was Sadie Jones for her bestselling debut novel The Outcast described by judges as “a riveting and heartbreaking read”. The Costa Novel Award went to Irish author Sebastian Barry for The Secret Scripture, which was also shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2008. The Costa Biography Award was won by Diana Athill for her memoir Somewhere Towards the End. At the age of 91, Diana addresses what it means to be old and to face death every day, but still have the strength to strive for life with an unquenchable curiosity for all that it brings. The Costa Poetry Award Winner was Adam Foulds with his debut work of poetry about the Mau Mau uprisings in Kenya, The Broken Word. The Costa Children's Book Award went to Michelle Magorian, the popular author of Goodnight Mister Tom, for Just Henry, her first new book in ten years. These five writers will now go forward for the ultimate prize, the Costa Book of the Year, to be announced at an awards ceremony on 27th January.

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