Costa Book Awards

The Costas are the UK's most prestigious book awards. Established by Whitbread Plc in 1971 and known as the Whitbread Awards, they were rebranded the Costa Awards in 2006. Costa is a UK based coffee shop chain owned by Whitbread Plc. The five category winners (First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book) are announced in early January, honoring books published the previous year. The Costa Book of the Year Award is announced in late January.

Current and Previous Award Winners:

• 2021
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008
• 2007
• 2006
• 2005

• 2021

  
  Costa Book of The Year:
  Mermaid of Black Conch  by  Monique Roffey
  
  Costa First Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Love After Love  by  Ingrid Persaud
  
  Costa Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Mermaid of Black Conch  by  Monique Roffey
  
  Costa Biography Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Louder I Will Sing  by  Lee Lawrence
  
  Costa Children's Book Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Voyage of the Sparrowhawk  by  Natasha Farrant
  
  Costa Poetry Award:
  The Historians  by  Eavan Boland

• 2019

  
  Costa Book of The Year:
  The Volunteer  by  Jack Fairweather
  
  Costa First Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Confessions of Frannie Langton  by  Sara Collins
  
  Costa Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Middle England  by  Jonathan Coe
  
  Costa Biography Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Volunteer  by  Jack Fairweather
  
  Costa Children's Book Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Asha and the Spirit Bird  by  Jasbinder Bilan
  
  Costa Poetry Award:
  Flèche  by  Mary Jean Chan

• 2018

  
  Costa Book of The Year:
  The Cut Out Girl  by  Bart van Es
  
  Costa First Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle  by  Stuart Turton
  
  Costa Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Normal People  by  Sally Rooney
  
  Costa Biography Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Cut Out Girl  by  Bart van Es
  
  Costa Children's Book Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Love to Everyone  by  Hilary McKay

• 2017

  
  Costa Book of The Year:
  Inside the Wave  by  Helen Dunmore
  
  Costa First Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine  by  Gail Honeyman
  
  Costa Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Reservoir 13  by  Jon McGregor
  
  Costa Biography Award (formerly Whitbread):
  In the Days of Rain  by  Rebecca Stott
  
  Costa Children's Book Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Explorer  by  Katherine Rundell
  
  Costa Poetry Award:
  Inside the Wave  by  Helen Dunmore

• 2016

  
  Costa Book of The Year:
  Days Without End  by  Sebastian Barry
  
  Costa First Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Golden Hill  by  Francis Spufford
  
  Costa Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Days Without End  by  Sebastian Barry
  
  Costa Biography Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Dadland  by  Keggie Carew
  
  Costa Children's Book Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Bombs That Brought Us Together  by  Brian Conaghan
  
  Costa Poetry Award:
  Falling Awake  by  Alice Oswald

• 2015

  
  Costa Book of The Year:
  The Lie Tree  by  Frances Hardinge
  
  Costa First Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Loney  by  Andrew Michael Hurley
  
  Costa Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  A God in Ruins  by  Kate Atkinson
  
  Costa Biography Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Invention of Nature  by  Andrea Wulf
  
  Costa Children's Book Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Lie Tree  by  Frances Hardinge
  
  Costa Poetry Award:
  40 Sonnets  by  Don Patterson

• 2014

  
  Costa Book of The Year:
  H is for Hawk  by  Helen Macdonald
  
  Costa First Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Elizabeth Is Missing  by  Emma Healey
  
  Costa Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  How to be Both  by  Ali Smith
  
  Costa Biography Award (formerly Whitbread):
  H is for Hawk  by  Helen Macdonald
  
  Costa Poetry Award:
  My Family and Other Superheroes  by  Jonathan Edwards

• 2013

  
  Costa Book of The Year:
  The Shock of The Fall  by  Nathan Filer
  
  Costa First Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Shock of The Fall  by  Nathan Filer
  
  Costa Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Life After Life  by  Kate Atkinson
  
  Costa Biography Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Gabriele d'Annunzio  by  Lucy Hughes-Hallett

• 2012

  
  Costa Book of The Year:
  Bring Up the Bodies  by  Hilary Mantel
  
  Costa First Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Innocents  by  Francesca Segal
  
  Costa Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Bring Up the Bodies  by  Hilary Mantel
  
  Costa Biography Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Dotter of Her Father's Eyes  by  Mary and Bryan Talbot
  
  Costa Children's Book Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Maggot Moon  by  Sally Gardner
  
  Costa Poetry Award:
  Overhaul  by  Kathleen Jamie

• 2011

  
  Costa First Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away  by  Christie Watson

• 2010

  
  Costa Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Hand that First Held Mine  by  Maggie O'Farrell
  
  Costa Biography Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Hare with Amber Eyes  by  Edmund de Waal
  
  Costa Children's Book Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Out of Shadows  by  Jason Wallace

• 2009

  
  Costa Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Brooklyn  by  Colm Toibin
  
  Costa Biography Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Strangest Man  by  Graham Farmelo

• 2008

  
  Costa Book of The Year:
  The Secret Scripture  by  Sebastian Barry
  
  Costa First Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Outcast  by  Sadie Jones
  
  Costa Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Secret Scripture  by  Sebastian Barry
  
  Costa Biography Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Somewhere Towards the End  by  Diana Athill

• 2007

  
  Costa Book of The Year:
  Day  by  A.L. Kennedy
  
  Costa First Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  What Was Lost  by  Catherine O'Flynn
  
  Costa Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Day  by  A.L. Kennedy
  
  Costa Biography Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Young Stalin  by  Simon Sebag Montefiore

• 2006

  
  Costa Book of The Year:
  The Tenderness of Wolves  by  Stef Penney
  
  Costa First Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Tenderness of Wolves  by  Stef Penney
  
  Costa Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  Restless  by  William Boyd

• 2005

  
  Costa First Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Harmony Silk Factory  by  Tash Aw
  
  Costa Novel Award (formerly Whitbread):
  The Accidental  by  Ali Smith