Judging for the Costa Novel Award:
Sam Leith
Literary Editor, Daily Telegraph
Sam Leith is literary editor and columnist at the Daily Telegraph. He is also the author of Daddy, Is Timmy In Heaven Now? (Canongate).
Nigel Rees
Writer and broadcaster
Nigel Rees is best known as deviser and presenter of BBC Radio 4's Quote ... Unquote programme. Born near Liverpool, he took a degree in English at Oxford before going straight into television in Manchester and subsequently moving to London and becoming involved in a wide range of programmes for BBC Radio, including two years as co-presenter of the breakfast-time Today programme on Radio 4. He is the author of more than fifty books - mostly devoted to aspects of the English language and especially the humour that derives from it.
Polly Samson
Author and lyricist
Polly Samson's novel, Out of the Picture and short story collection, Lying in Bed are published by Virago. She has written lyrics for The Division Bell (Pink Floyd) and On an Island (David Gilmour). Her first career was in publishing and she became a Director of Jonathan Cape in 1988. For several years she wrote features and a weekly column for the Sunday Times - she has also written for BBC Radio 4. She writes occasional features and reviews, most recently in The Guardian.
Judging for the Costa First Novel Award:
Nic Bottomley
General Manager of Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights
Nic Bottomley is the co-owner (together with his wife, Juliette) and general manager of Bath independent bookshop Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights. In 2005 Nic left behind his career as a capital markets lawyer to try to create a successful independent bookshop which would build its reputation on interesting stock, eclectic ambience and immaculate customer service. Mr B's opened in 2006 and in 2007 became the only independent bookshop in the UK to be shortlisted for the independent bookshop of the year awards at both the British Book Awards and the Bookseller Retail Awards.
Helen Lederer
Actress and writer
From her early days at the famous Comedy Store in London, to creating the 'girl at the bar' in BBCs Naked Video, not to mention becoming Catriona, the ditzy journalist in BBCs Absolutely Fabulous, Helen has starred in a lot of top TV comedy and Radio shows. Her theatre experience includes following hot on the heels of Julie Walters in Educating Rita, playing Doreen in Alan Bleasdales Having a Ball, and performing in London's West End The Vagina Monologues in 2002. She is also a sought-after columnist and her work regularly appears in a variety of national press. Helen is currently in development of a sitcom for BBC 2, a comedy novel, commissioned by Penguin and a number of TV projects.
Sebastian Shakespeare
Evening Standard columnist and diary editor
Sebastian worked in publishing before becoming a journalist. He is an Evening Standard columnist and diarist, and contributing editor to the Literary Review and Tatler. He is married and lives in North Kensington.
Judging for the Costa Poetry Award:
Vicki Feaver
Poet
Vicki Feaver is a poet and artist. Her last of collection of poems, The Book of Blood was short-listed for the Costa and Forward prizes in 2006. She lives in Scotland and is Emeritus Professor at the University of Chichester.
Sion Hamilton
Ground Floor Manager, Foyles
Sion studied literature at Keele and then Cardiff University, before becoming the Poetry Buyer and Ground Floor Manager at Foyles Bookshop, Charing Cross Road. In his spare time he reads and writes poetry.
Adam Phillips
Judging for the Costa Biography Award:
Danny Danziger
Writer and columnist
Danny Danziger is a broadcaster, columnist on the Sunday Times, and an author. His Year 1000 was a number one bestseller and his latest book, which was published this summer in America, is a profile of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Emma Jepson
Non-Fiction Buyer, Borders
Emma spent six years at Waterstone's rising through the ranks from bookseller to head office Buyer in Non-Fiction. During her time at Waterstone's, Emma successfully helped open new stores and was part of the management team at their Piccadilly flagship store before moving to head office. In December 2006 Emma joined Borders Buying team where she has been heavily involved in driving new initiatives.
Stephanie Merritt
Journalist and novelist
Stephanie Merritt is a journalist and author who has contributed to various newspapers and magazines as well as television and radio. She was Deputy Literary Editor of the Observer from 1998-2005 and is now a feature writer at the paper. She is the author of two novels, Gaveston (Faber, 2002), which won a Betty Trask Award, and Real (Faber, 2005), for which she was commissioned to write the screenplay by Gabriel Byrne. Her first non-fiction book, The Devil Within, will be published by Vermilion next spring. She is currently Director of Talks at the Soho Theatre.
Judging for the Costa Children's Book Award:
David Almond
Author
David Almond is known worldwide as the author of Skellig, Kit's Wilderness, Clay and many other novels, stories and plays. His work is translated into thirty languages and he has won a string of major awards, including the Carnegie Medal, two Whitbreads, two Smarties Prizes and The Michael L Pritz Award (USA). His latest book, published in October 07, is My Dad's a Birdman. This will be followed next year by The Savage, illustrated by Dave McKean; a new novel, The Foundling; and an opera of Skellig. He lives with his family in Northumberland.
Marilyn Brocklehurst
Proprietor, Norfolk Children's Book Centre
Marilyn Brocklehurst trained as a children's and schools' librarian and worked for Harrow, Hillingdon, Buckinghamshire and Norfolk Library Authorities. In 1986, she set up Norfolk Children's Book Centre in her north Norfolk garden, and since then has liberally dispensed advice, information and enthusiasm about children's reading. She travels the country lecturing about the importance of sharing books with children. This year she was a member of the selection committee for the new Children's Laureate.
Julia Somerville
Broadcaster and journalist
Julia Somerville worked as a reporter, correspondent and news presenter at BBC News and then ITN. Since 2003, she has chaired the Advisory Committee on the Government Art Collection. Her partner is the architect Jeremy Dixon and she has two children.
The Costa Children's Book Award shortlist was also judged by our two young judges.