The Costa Book Awards honour some of the most outstanding books of the year written by authors based in the UK and Ireland. There are five categories – First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children’s Book – with one of the five winners chosen as Book of the Year.

Dominic Paul, managing director of Costa, says: ‘These shortlists are a showcase of everything the Costa book awards celebrate: terrific books with broad appeal that will be enjoyed by readers of all tastes.’

Here are the shortlistees in each category.

Novel

• Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor
• Under a Pole Star by Stef Penney
• Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
• Tin Man by Sarah Winman

First novel

• The Clocks in This House All Tell Different Times by Xan Brooks
• Montpelier Parade by Karl Geary
• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
• The Haunting of Henry Twist by Rebecca F John

Biography

• Once Upon a Time in the East: A Story of Growing Up by Xiaolu Guo
• A Bold and Dangerous Family: The Rossellis and the Fight Against Mussolini by Caroline Moorehead
• In the Days of Rain by Rebecca Stott
• Fragile Lives: A Heart Surgeon’s Stories of Life and Death on the Operating Table by Stephen Westaby

Poetry

• Kumukanda by Kayo Chingonyi
• Inside the Wave by Helen Dunmore
• On Balance by Sinéad Morrissey
• Useful Verses by Richard Osmond

Children’s books

• Moonrise by Sarah Crossan
• Wed Wabbit by Lissa Evans
• The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
• The Explorer by Katherine Rundell

The category winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 2 January, 2018, and the overall winner will be revealed on 30 January, 2018. Read more about the Costa book awards here.