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| Costa Award shortlist announced | Costa Award shortlist announced |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Irish novelist Colm Toibin has been shortlisted for the Costa Book of the Year for his "poised, quiet and shattering" emigrant saga Brooklyn. | |
| He is favourite to win the £30,000 prize after scooping the novel award. | He is favourite to win the £30,000 prize after scooping the novel award. |
| The award's individual categories are split into novel, first novel, poetry, biography and children's book. | The award's individual categories are split into novel, first novel, poetry, biography and children's book. |
| Raphael Selbourne, Graham Farmelo, Patrick Ness and Christopher Reid complete the nominees, with the winner announced on 26 January. | Raphael Selbourne, Graham Farmelo, Patrick Ness and Christopher Reid complete the nominees, with the winner announced on 26 January. |
| Christopher Reid: "It's a book I would much rather not have had to write" | Christopher Reid: "It's a book I would much rather not have had to write" |
| The five winners, each of whom will receive £5,000, were selected from 592 entries, and will now fight for the title 2009 Costa Book of the Year. | The five winners, each of whom will receive £5,000, were selected from 592 entries, and will now fight for the title 2009 Costa Book of the Year. |
| Toibin beat Booker Prize winner Hilary Mantel in the novel category for Brooklyn, which centres around a young Irish girl who travels to the US 1950s to find work, before tragic news takes her back home. | |
| Reid won the poetry award for A Scattering, a tribute to his wife following her death in 2005. | Reid won the poetry award for A Scattering, a tribute to his wife following her death in 2005. |
| The judges, chaired by novelist Josephine Hart, described the collection of poems as "intensely moving, compelling and honest". | The judges, chaired by novelist Josephine Hart, described the collection of poems as "intensely moving, compelling and honest". |
| Selbourne won the first novel award for Beauty, the story of a young Bangladeshi woman on the run from her family, while debut biographer Farmelo won his award for The Strangest Man, about the life of physicist Paul Dirac. | Selbourne won the first novel award for Beauty, the story of a young Bangladeshi woman on the run from her family, while debut biographer Farmelo won his award for The Strangest Man, about the life of physicist Paul Dirac. |
| Ness won the Children's Book Award for The Ask and the Answer which the judges acclaimed as "a major achievement in the making". | Ness won the Children's Book Award for The Ask and the Answer which the judges acclaimed as "a major achievement in the making". |
| COSTA AWARD WINNERS Colm Toibin - BrooklynChristopher Reid - A ScatteringRaphael Selbourne - BeautyGraham Farmelo - The Strangest ManPatrick Ness - The Ask and the Answer | |
| Janine Cook, fiction buyer at book retailer Waterstone's, said: "The Costa never fails to pick an eclectic bunch of winners, and this year is no exception. | Janine Cook, fiction buyer at book retailer Waterstone's, said: "The Costa never fails to pick an eclectic bunch of winners, and this year is no exception. |
| "The frontrunner must be Colm Toibin's Brooklyn which we sold very well over Christmas. | "The frontrunner must be Colm Toibin's Brooklyn which we sold very well over Christmas. |
| "However, smart punters might want to place a bet on Beauty by Raphael Selbourne." | "However, smart punters might want to place a bet on Beauty by Raphael Selbourne." |
| John Derkach, managing director of Costa, said the five winners were an "outstanding" collection of books. | John Derkach, managing director of Costa, said the five winners were an "outstanding" collection of books. |
| Patrick Ness defended his depiction of violence | Patrick Ness defended his depiction of violence |
| He said: "The Costa Book Awards have an excellent track record of recognising and celebrating some of the very best current British writing, and books that can be enjoyed by everyone." | He said: "The Costa Book Awards have an excellent track record of recognising and celebrating some of the very best current British writing, and books that can be enjoyed by everyone." |
| Originally established in 1971 by Whitbread, Costa took over the sponsorship of the prize in 2006. | Originally established in 1971 by Whitbread, Costa took over the sponsorship of the prize in 2006. |
| Since the main book of the year award was introduced in 1985, it has been won nine times by a novel, five times by both poetry and biography and four by a debut novel. | Since the main book of the year award was introduced in 1985, it has been won nine times by a novel, five times by both poetry and biography and four by a debut novel. |
| A children's book has triumphed just once. | A children's book has triumphed just once. |