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.