Press
Press Release
02/07/2007
STEF PENNEY WINS 2006 COSTA BOOK OF THE YEAR
First-time writer, Stef Penney, has beaten best-selling author, William Boyd, to win the first-ever Costa Book of the Year award for her debut novel The Tenderness of Wolves - a murder mystery set in the snowy landscapes of Canada, a country she has never visited. The announcement was made this evening (Wednesday 7th February) at an awards ceremony held at The Grosvenor House Hotel in Central London.
The Costa Book Awards recognise the most enjoyable books of the last year by writers based in the UK and Ireland. Formerly known as the Whitbread Book Awards, Costa announced its takeover of the sponsorship of the UK's most prestigious book prize in 2006.
In one of the most open contests since the Book of the Year award was introduced in 1985, The Tenderness of Wolves beat odds-on favourite Keeping Mum by Brian Thompson, novelist William Boyd for Restless, poet John Haynes for Letter to Patience and children's book Set in Stone by Linda Newbery, for the overall prize.
Following the judging, Armando Iannucci, chair of the final judges, said: We all felt The Tenderness of Wolves is a very successful and special book. It is not only an extraordinary first novel but an extraordinary novel.
Costa's Managing Director, John Derkach, presented Penney with a cheque for ?25,000 at the glittering awards ceremony.
The Tenderness of Wolves, published by Quercus, is only the fourth first novel to take the overall prize. Kate Atkinson was the last author to win the Book of the Year with a first novel taking the prize over ten years ago in 1995 for Behind the Scenes at the Museum.
Penney, a recently recovered agoraphobic, researched The Tenderness of Wolves at The British Library in London and has never been to Canada.
Since the introduction of the Book of the Year award in 1985, it has been won seven times by a novel, three times by a first novel, five times by a biography, five times by a collection of poetry and once by a children's book.
For more information please visit www.costabookawards.com
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Further Background
The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney
Quercus
About the book:
1867, Canada. As winter tightens its grip on the isolated settlement of Dove River, a man is brutally murdered and a seventeen-year-old boy disappears. Tracks leaving the dead man's cabin head north towards the forest and the tundra beyond. In the wake of such violence, people are drawn to the township journalists, Hudsons Bay Company men, trappers, traders but do they want to solve the crime, or exploit it?
About the author:
Stef Penney grew up in Edinburgh and studied at Bristol University before turning to film-making. She was selected for the Carlton Television New Writers Scheme and has since written and directed two short films. On leaving university, Stef became agoraphobic and could barely travel. She has never been to Canada and researched The Tenderness of Wolves at The British Library. Now recovered, Stef is 37 and lives in East London.
What the judges said:
The Tenderness of Wolves stood out from a very strong shortlist. We felt enveloped by the snowy landscape and gripped by the beautiful writing and effortless story-telling. It is a story of love, suspense and beauty. We couldn't put it down.
Judges:
Alyson Rudd Writer, The Times
Sophie Kinsella Author
Andrew McClellan Fiction Buyer, WH Smith
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