The Costa Book of the Year Awards 2020 Category Winners
Once more reflecting both critical opinion and popular taste, this year’s Costa Book Awards category winners represent a wonderful breadth of topics. From a mesmerising retelling of a Caribbean folk tale to a patient unveiling of a racist police cover-up, discover the brilliant titles in competition for the overall winner of 2020 Costa Book of the Year, which will be announced on Tuesday 26 January 2021.
‘Five outstanding books and five very worthy Award winners – what a wonderful way to start the year. The Costa Book Awards are all about recognising great writing and a good read and we’re very proud to be announcing such a brilliant collection of books for readers to explore and enjoy.’
Jill McDonald, CEO of Costa Coffee
The Costa Novel Award 2020 Winner
Blending Caribbean folk tales with everyday realism, Monique Roffey’s lyrical love story seeped in history and myth is a worthy winner of the 2020 Costa Novel Award.
Set on an imaginary Caribbean island, this tantalising tale of disruption brought about by a beautiful stranger marries mythical elements with the piercing realism of everyday life.
The Costa Novel Award 2020 Shortlist
The Costa First Novel Award 2020 Winner
A deserving winner of the First Novel Award, Ingrid Persaud’s debut serves up a heart-breaking but life-affirming story of family secrets and the expanses of human forgiveness.
With an unconventional family unit at its heart, Persaud’s novel explores the intricate connection between love and trust, and what happens to the former when the latter is disrupted.
The Costa First Novel Award 2020 Shortlist
The Costa Biography Award 2020 Winner
Lee Lawrence wins the Biography Award with his moving memoir that is at once an eye-witness account of the systematic racism underpinning some of Britain’s key institutions and an inspiring clarion call for change.
Charting his 30-year battle for justice for his mother killed in a police raid, Lee Lawrence’s powerful memoir is a call to action against police cover-ups and the systematic racism underpinning many of Britain’s vital institutions.
The Costa Biography Award 2020 Shortlist
The Costa Poetry Award 2020 Winner
Mapping luminous paths through womanhood, history and myth, the bold and arresting final collection from the legendary poet Eavan Boland wins the 2020 Costa Poetry Award.
One of the leading poetic voices of both feminist and Irish literature, Boland exercises her hallmark gift of entwining ordinary female life with history and myth in her stunning final collection.
The Costa Poetry Award 2020 Shortlist
The Costa Children's Book Award 2020 Winner
The 2020 Costa Children's Book Award goes to Natasha Farrant’s charming adventure, which sets two children and their teacher on an epic sea voyage across the Channel in the wake of the First World War.
From the author of the acclaimed The Children of Castle Rock comes another rollicking period adventure, as two children and their young teacher set sail for France in the aftermath of World War I.
The Costa Children's Book Award 2020 Shortlist
Previous Winners
Sign In / Register
Sign In
Download the Waterstones App
Would you like to proceed to the App store to download the Waterstones App?
Click & Collect
Please note that owing to current COVID-19 restrictions, many of our shops are closed. Find out more by clicking here.