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Costa Book Awards 2019

The 2019 Costa Book Awards went to The Volunteer: The True Story of the Resistance Hero who Infiltrated Auschwitz by Jack Fairweather (Biography), The Volunteer: The True Story of the Resistance Hero who Infiltrated Auschwitz by Jack Fairweather (Book of the Year) and Asha & the Spirit Bird by Jasbinder Bilan (Children's), with winners in 3 more categories. 21 books made the shortlist across 6 categories.

Winners

Biography

  1. The Volunteer: The True Story of the Resistance Hero who Infiltrated Auschwitz by Jack Fairweathersource (opens in a new tab)

Book of the Year

  1. The Volunteer: The True Story of the Resistance Hero who Infiltrated Auschwitz by Jack Fairweathersource (opens in a new tab)

Children's

  1. Asha & the Spirit Bird by Jasbinder Bilansource (opens in a new tab)

First Novel

  1. The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collinssource (opens in a new tab)

Novel

  1. Middle England by Jonathan Coesource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Flèche by Mary Jean Chansource (opens in a new tab)

Shortlist

Biography

  1. In Extremis: The Life of War Correspondent Marie Colvin by Lindsey Hilsumsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. On Chapel Sands: My Mother and Other Missing Persons by Laura Cummingsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Making of Poetry: Coleridge, the Wordsworths and Their Year of Marvels by Adam Nicolsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Children's

  1. Crossfire by Malorie Blackmansource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Furious Thing by Jenny Downhamsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. In the Shadow of Heroes by Nicholas Bowlingsource (opens in a new tab)

First Novel

  1. Diary of a Somebody by Brian Bilstonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williamssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Other Half of Augusta Hope by Joanna Glensource (opens in a new tab)

Novel

  1. Confession with Blue Horses by Sophie Hardachsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Shadowplay by Joseph O'Connorsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Starling Days by Rowan Hisayo Buchanansource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Reckless Paper Birds by John McCulloughsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Surge by Jay Bernardsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Mizzy by Paul Farleysource (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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