Costa Book Awards

Formerly known as the Whitebread Book Awards, the Costa Book Awards were established in 2012. These awards are given to author’s of books which are valued on two main principles. Books which are considered for the award are considered to be a joy to read. However, books are also considered based upon their merit within the literary community. Author’s who are eligible for the award must have been a resident of the UK or Ireland for a minimum of 6 months over a previous 3-year span. Five panels of judges select the winning books. The book which receives Costa Book of the Year honors, nets the author £25,000 in prize money.

This award becomes an important aspect of any aspiring author’s ambitions to become successful. Those who write children’s books stand to reap significant rewards if they win the award. The award allows your book to become more publicized. It also allows you to gain more opportunities within the literary world. Some author’s who have won the award have conducted book signings to promote their other pieces of literature. Indeed, winning the award changes the lives of many UK authors. Perhaps the most important piece of advice that previous award winners divulge, is to never stray away from your accomplished writing style. Authors who change their writing to fit a mold, often fail to live up to expectations, thus stalling careers. The accolades will come in time if you just stay true to your writing.