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
- Big Girl, Small Town by Michelle Gallen
- The Family Tree by Sairish Hussain
- Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud
- All the Water in the World by Karen Raney
Best Novel
- Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
- Peace Talks by Tim Finch
- The Less Dead by Denise Mina
- The Mermaid of Black Conch: A Love Story by Monique Roffey
Best Biography
- The Man in the Red Coat by Julian Barnes
- Dear Life by Rachel Clarke
- The Louder I Will Sing by Lee Lawrence
- Ghost Town: A Liverpool Shadow Play by Jeff Young
Best Poetry
- The Air Year by Caroline Bird
- The Historians by Eavan Boland
- My Darling from the Lions by Rachel Long
- Citadel by Martha Sprackland
Best Children’s books
- Wranglestone by Darren Charlton
- Voyage of the Sparrowhawk by Natasha Farrant
- The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates by Jenny Pearson
- The Great Godden by Meg Rosoff
The category winners will be announced 4 January 2021, with the Book of the Year winner to be revealed on 26 January 2021. Read more about the Costa Book Awards here.
