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.
