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.

Below is the full list of shortlistees in each category.

Best First novel

• Diary of a Somebody by Brian Bilston
• Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
• The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins
• The Other Half of Augusta Hope by Joanna Glen

Best Novel

• Middle England by Jonathan Coe
• Confession With Blue Horses by Sophie Hardach
• Starling Days by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
• Shadowplay by Joseph O’Connor

Best Biography

• On Chapel Sands by Laura Cumming
• The Volunteer by Jack Fairweather
• In Extremis: The Life of War Correspondent Marie Colvin by Lindsey Hilsum
• The Making of Poetry: Coleridge, the Wordsworths and Their Year of Marvels by Adam Nicolson

Best Poetry

• Surge by Jay Bernard
• Flèche by Mary Jean Chan
• The Mizzy by Paul Farley
• Reckless Paper Birds by John McCullough

Best Children’s books

• Asha & the Spirit Bird by Jasbinder Bilan
• Crossfire by Malorie Blackman
• In the Shadow of Heroes by Nicholas Bowling
• Furious Thing by Jenny Downham

The category winners will be announced 6 January 2020, with the Book of the Year winner to be revealed on 28 January 2019. Read more about the Costa Book Awards here.