This year’s Costa (renamed from the Whitbread thanks to a change in sponsorship) Award winners have been named in several categories. The prize typically plays second fiddle to the heavyweight Booker, but some might appreciate its refreshing lack of fanfare, drama, and controversy (which seem to accompany the Booker and which some consider part of its charm). Still, the Costa consistently comes up with solid winners, and its “first novel” category is good at “discovering” new writers. This year’s winners across five categories are:
- Novel: Restless by William Boyd
- First Novel: The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney
- Children’s Book: Set in Stone by Linda Newbery
- Poetry: Letter to Patience by John Haynes
- Biography: Keeping Mum: A Wartime Childhood by Brian Thompson
