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Costa Book Awards 2009

The 2009 Costa Book Awards went to The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Quantum Genius by Graham Farmelo (Biography), A Scattering by Christopher Reid (Book of the Year) and The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness (Children's), with winners in 3 more categories. 21 books made the shortlist across 6 categories.

Winners

Biography

  1. The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Quantum Genius by Graham Farmelosource (opens in a new tab)

Book of the Year

  1. A Scattering by Christopher Reidsource (opens in a new tab)

Children's

  1. The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Nesssource (opens in a new tab)

First Novel

  1. Beauty by Raphael Selbournesource (opens in a new tab)

Novel

  1. Brooklyn by Colm Tóibínsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. A Scattering by Christopher Reidsource (opens in a new tab)

Shortlist

Biography

  1. Coda by Simon Graysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Dancing to the Precipice by Caroline Mooreheadsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Music Room by William Fiennessource (opens in a new tab)

Children's

  1. Guantanamo Boy by Anna Pererasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowdsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Troubadour by Mary Hoffmansource (opens in a new tab)

First Novel

  1. John the Revelator by Peter Murphysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Finest Type of English Womanhood by Rachel Heathsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shawsource (opens in a new tab)

Novel

  1. Family Album by Penelope Livelysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantelsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Angels over Elsinore by Clive Jamessource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Darwin: A Life in Poems by Ruth Padelsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. One Eye'd Leigh by Katharine Kilaleasource (opens in a new tab)

About the Costa Book Awards

Whitbread Book Awards until 2005; Costa from 2006. The awards ended after 2021. Sources: web.archive.org snapshots of official costa.co.uk pages only - past-shortlists PDFs (2018 and 2022 editions), past-winners-2019-end PDF, and the behind-the-beans/costa-book-awards/book-awards page (2020 winners, 2021 shortlists, winners and Book of the Year). Wikipedia used only as a cross-check. The 2010 Biography shortlist had 3 books, not 4. No category was missing or merged in 2006-2021.

Organization: Costa Coffee. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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