Among a large number of reputable literary awards held in the United Kingdom, the Costa Book Awards used to be one of the most prestigious and long-lasting ones. Founded back in 1971, this award was held annually for 50 years, until it suddenly closed, leaving the whole publishing industry surprised.
It’s not been held for several years now. Still, it remains a well-known award. Over the decades, it has been revealing many quality books to the public. In this article, we’ll delve into its history to tell you more.
Costa Book Awards: Definition and General Facts
The Costa Book Awards were an annual literary award. It was founded in 1971. The primary goals of the award were to recognize talented writers from the United Kingdom and Ireland and promote interest in reading in the community.
The Costa Book Awards were originally known as the Whitbread Book Awards. In its early years, the award was supported by the British corporation called Whitbread PLC. Hence, its original name. In 2006, the event was rebranded. Costa Coffee became the new owner and changed the name of the event.
During the years of its operation, the Costa Book Awards awarded writers in five categories:
- Novel
- First novel
- Poetry
- Biography
- Children’s
Additionally, the jury panel selected one Book of the Year among the winners. Both category winners and the final winner received cash prizes.
The award existed for 50 years. In 2021, it was suddenly closed. And this caused a lot of discussion in the publishing industry.
The Costa Book Awards History: From Foundation to Closure
The Costa Book Awards have a long history. The award has been active for 50 years and has earned a decent reputation in the UK. Let’s take a look at the main events in its history:
1971
The new literary award for UK and Irish authors has been founded. The first name of the award is the Whitbread Book Awards in recognition of its sponsor, Whitbread PLC.
1970s–2000s
The award is held annually, recognizing literary talents in five main categories. Its popularity is growing rapidly, making it one of the most recognized British awards in the field of literature.
2006
The subsidiary of Whitbread PLC, a coffee shop named Costa Coffee, claims ownership of the award and makes a rebranding of the event. Starting from this year, the event is known as the Costa Book Awards.
2010s
The popularity and recognition of the award keep expanding. The sponsors establish another, accompanying event, the Costa Short Story Award.
2022
The award was held in 2021. Then, in 2022, it was announced that last year’s winners were the last to receive it.
Understanding the Costa Book Awards Categories
The Costa Book Award annually recognizes talented writers across five categories:
- Novel: Full-length fiction novel.
- First Novel: Best debut novel.
- Biography: Best non-fiction, biographical work.
- Poetry: Best collection of poems.
- Children’s Book: Best work written for kids or young adults.
Every year, the juries selected one winner in each category. Later, one author was picked among 5 winners as the Costa Book of the Year.
Costa Book of the Year
As we mentioned earlier, every year the Costa Book Awards select one book of the year from the 5 winners. This process was as follows:
- Annually, the award’s founders created five separate judging panels to pick winners in each category.
- Every winner was awarded a £5,000 prize.
- When all winners are known, the founders created a new judging panel consisting of five judges from the initial selection round and four new judges to pick the book of the year.
- The final winner received an additional prize of £30,000 for Book of the Year.
Costa Book Awards Winners: A 10-Year Overview
Throughout the 50 years of its existence, the Costa Book Awards have recognized hundreds of talented authors. Costa Coffee has published the full Costa Book Awards winners list that covers all years of the award’s operation.
Here, we’ll tell you about the winners of the last 10 years before the closure of the award.
Conclusion
The Costa Book Awards were once a prestigious event. It was held annually and recognized established and aspiring writers who demonstrated literary quality and originality. Over the 50 years of its existence, this award has been received by hundreds of authors. So, when it was announced to close, it was a surprise for the industry.
Now, the Costa Book Awards haven’t been awarded for the past 5 years. Still, thanks to its long history and a large number of quality books it has brought to the spotlight, it remains a known and prestigious literary award that deserves to be remembered.