FAQs
About the Awards
We receive many enquiries about every aspect of the Costa Book Awards (formerly the Whitbread Book Awards). So we've taken all the most frequently asked questions and answered them in this section. If you cant find the answer to your question, please go to the Contact Us button at the bottom of this page.
- Is my book eligible?
Books must be submitted directly by publishers, not by authors.
Authors of submitted books must have been resident in the United Kingdom or Ireland for over six months of each of the previous three years (although UK or Irish nationality is not essential).
Books must have been first published in the UK or Ireland between 1 November of the previous year and 31 October of the current year. Books previously published elsewhere are not eligible.
There is no limit on the number of books entered by each publisher, provided each one complies with the rules as above. Each book may only be entered in one category.
We regret that short stories and collections of short stories are not eligible within the current Awards category structure.
- How do I enter a book?
Your publisher must enter your book.
Publishers should contact the Booksellers Association to ensure they receive an entry form. These are mailed out at the end of May each year and copies are also made available for download from this website soon after the mailing. Close of entry each year is the last Wednesday in June.
The 2008 entry form is no longer available for download.
The Booksellers Association can be contacted as follows:
Naomi Gane,
Booksellers Association,
Minster House,
272 Vauxhall Bridge Road,
London SW1V 1BA
Tel: 020 7802 0802
email: naomi.gane@booksellers.org.uk
- How do the Costa Book Awards work?
The Costa Book Awards has five categories First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Childrens Book. For each category there are three judges usually an author, a bookseller and a journalist. They select a shortlist of four books, which includes the winner.
The criteria are to select well-written, enjoyable books that they would strongly recommend anyone to read.
Each category winner is then submitted to a nine-member judging panel, which includes the author from each of the original category judging panels together with a Chairman and three other people in the public eye who love reading.
They select one book from these five as overall Costa Book of the Year.
- Why does Costa sponsor a book prize?
Coffee and books are the perfect blend and there's nothing quite like putting your feet up with a good book and a great cup of coffee.
Costa has always offered readers the chance to take time out to enjoy both these pleasures in our stores - many of them located in bookshops.
By sponsoring the Book Awards along with other literacy initiatives, Costa aims to encourage new and existing readers to take time out with a coffee and enjoy great books.
To find out more about Costa, click here.
- Can I have a list of all previous winners?
- How old are the Costa Book Awards (formerly the Whitbread Book Awards)?
The Whitbread Literary Awards, as they were then known, were launched in 1971.
Costa took over the ownership of the Book Awards in 2006.
- How much is the prize money?
The total prize fund is £50,000. Each of the category winners receives £5,000 and the overall winner receives a further £25,000.
But of course its not just about the prize money. Sales have historically been increased as a direct result of being shortlisted for or winning a Whitbread Award. As the winner of the 2002 Whitbread Book of the Year, Claire Tomalin, said: The effect on the sales of both my book on Pepys and my husbands novel Spies has been phenomenal. It is lovely to win a prize but we and our publishers are all amazed by the surge into the bestseller lists.
- How can I become a young judge?
We choose our young judges by a different means each year. Well also feature it on this website. Click here to find out how we found this years judges.
- How can I get Point of Sale material?
This is available to booksellers and libraries who complete the necessary order form. The order form is mailed out in Bookselling magazine during November each year. Please contact The Booksellers Association if you are interested in receiving the order form (naomi.gane@booksellers.org.uk)
- Has the Children's Book Award always been part of the main prize?
The importance of children’s books within the UK’s wide and varied literary tradition was always a key part of the Whitbread Awards.
There have been many changes to the structure of the Book Awards over the years, but the Children’s Book category has always been a part of it. However for two years – from 1996 to 1998 – although the winner of this category was selected by the final judging panel and received a greater prize than other categories, it wasn’t judged against the winners of the other categories for the Book of the Year.
Since 1998, the Children’s Book Award has been judged against the other category winners for the main Book of the Year by the final judging panel.
- Can Costa help me to get my book published?
Unfortunately were unable to help you with this. However, the Booktrust's website contains a useful factsheet entitled 'Getting Published' which may help you.