The Fortnightly Flag - Costa Book Awards

The Fortnightly Flag
9th January 2018

Happy New Year

COSTA BOOK AWARDS

The first big literary event in London in 2018 will be the Costa Book of the Year Award. Tuesday 30th January is earmarked for the evening on which the Book of the Year will be unveiled. This is one of the UK's biggest book prizes.

The category winners have already been announced and the Book of the Year winner will be one of these.

Poetry - Helen Dunmore  Inside the Wave (Bloodaxe Books) -
Helen passed away last year so this will be a posthumous award for her final poetry collection.

Novel - Jon McGregor. Reservoir 13 (Fourth Estate)

First Novel - Gail Honeyman. Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine

Now I have read this one and can thoroughly recommend it. Although I am not a fan of first person narratives in this case it is entirely justified as Eleanor gradually reveals not only her present loneliness but also her troubled past chapter by chapter. She is by turns vulnerable, difficult and infuriating while her observations on modern city life - Eleanor doesn't know how to be tactful - will make you laugh. At the same time, as we gradually learn why she is the way she is - the whole truth is not revealed until the very end - we admire her enormous strength of character and I defy anyone not to be rooting for her at the end. It's a remarkable book and I loved it.

I have also bought Helen Dunmore's book and Jon McGregor's but not had time to read them yet as I have to get on with a bit of writing of my own.

Biography - Rebecca Stott. In the days of Rain

Children's - Katherine Rundell. The Explorer.

Best of luck to all.