The Costa Book Awards are amongst the UK's most prestigious literary prizes. Recognising some of the most enjoyable and entertaining books of the year, the awards are split into five categories: First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book.

The shortlists were announced on 19 November and the individual category winners are to be confirmed on 6 January. The judges will then have a further three weeks to choose the overall winner.

Category Shortlists

Costa Novel Award

The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
The Other Hand by Chris Cleave
A Partisan's Daughter by Louis de Bernieres
Trauma by Patrick McGrath

Costa First Novel Award

The Behaviour of Moths by Poppy Adams
The Outcast by Sadie Jones
Inside the Whale by Jennie Rooney
Child 44 by Tim Rob Smith

Costa Biography Award

Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill
The Bloomsbury Ballerina by Judith Mackrell
If You Don't Know Me by Now by Sathnam Sanghera
Chagall by Jackie Wullschlager

Costa Poetry Award

For All We Know by Ciaran Carson
The Broken Word by Adam Foulds
Sunday at the Skin Launderette by Kathryn Simmonds
Salvation Jane by Greta Stoddart

Costa Children's Book Award

Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray
The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd
Just Henry by Michelle Magorian
Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine

About the Costa Book Awards

The Costa Book awards are currently in their 37th year. Started in 1971 as the Whitbread Literary Awards, they progressed to become the Whitbread Book Awards in 1985. It wasn't until 2006 that Costa Coffee took up the sponsorship.

The awards have been won by books and authors from a wide range of genres. 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.