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.
