<p> Judges Announced for 2016 Costa Book Awards</p><p>Key Dates: Category shortlists announced: Tuesday 22nd November 2016 Category Award Winners announced: Tuesday 3rd January 2017 Costa Book of the Year announced: Tuesday 31st January 2017</p><p>London, 4th October 2016: Costa today announces the judging panels for the 2016 Costa Book Awards, open to writers based in the UK and Ireland.</p><p>They include writers Nicci Gerrard, Justin Cartwright, Mary Loudon, Andrew O’Hagan and Matthew Dennison; poet, author and vlogger Jen Campbell; and author- illustrator, Cressida Cowell. </p><p>The full panels are listed below:</p><p>COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD Justin Cartwright: Author Charlotte Heathcote: Literary Editor, Daily and Sunday Express Sheryl Shurville: Co-owner of Chorleywood and Gerrards Cross Bookshops </p><p>COSTA NOVEL AWARD Matthew Bates: Fiction Buyer, WHSmith Travel Nicci Gerrard: Writer Lisa O’Kelly: Literary Editor, The Observer</p><p>COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD Matthew Dennison: Biographer and Journalist Mary Loudon: Author Sarra Manning: Author and Critic</p><p>COSTA POETRY AWARD Jen Campbell: Poet, Author and Vlogger Kate Kellaway: Staff Writer and Poetry Editor, The Observer Andrew O’Hagan: Novelist</p><p>COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD Cressida Cowell: Author-Illustrator Anna James: Writer and Journalist Steven Pryse: Owner, Pickled Pepper Books </p><p>A total of 596 books were entered for this year’s Costa Book Awards. The Costa Book Awards is the only major UK book prize that is open solely to authors resident in the UK and Ireland and also, uniquely, recognises the most enjoyable books across five categories – First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children’s Book - published in the last year. Originally established in 1971 by Whitbread Plc, Costa announced its takeover of the sponsorship of the UK's most prestigious book prize in 2006. 2016 marks the 45th year of the Book Awards.</p><p>“I read all these novels during a period when there was much discussion and even anguish about what it is to be British,” commented Novel Award judge, Nicci Gerrard. “What all the books show is that Britain is made up of a glorious, beautiful rabble of different voices. There have been so many stories: whaling ships and road trips, Medusas and political intrigue and murder, a foetus speaking from its mother's womb; voices coming from the grief of history, coming from the hidden present, from an undefined future; voices that help us make sense of ourselves; voices that show us different worlds and help us to understand our own.” </p><p>Recent winners of the Costa Book of the Year include Frances Hardinge for The Lie Tree (2015), Helen Macdonald for H is for Hawk (2014), Nathan Filer for The Shock of the Fall (2013), Hilary Mantel for Bring Up the Bodies (2012), Andrew Miller for Pure (2011), Jo Shapcott for Of Mutability (2010), Christopher Reid for A Scattering (2009), Sebastian Barry for The Secret Scripture (2008), Day by A. L. Kennedy (2007) and Stef Penney for The Tenderness of Wolves (2006).</p><p>“ I'm delighted to be a judge for the 2016 Costa Book Awards,” added Cressida Cowell, Children’s Book Award judge. “Last year I was thrilled when Francis Hardinge's brilliant 'The Lie Tree', won both the Children's Book Award and was named overall Costa Book of the Year. This year, the entries for the children's category are incredibly strong and I know from the quality of the books I’ve been reading so far that it’s going to be extremely tough to choose a shortlist and a winner.”</p><p>The judges will select shortlists and winners in their respective categories (First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children’s Book) and the five Award Winners will form the shortlist for the 2016 Costa Book of the Year, which will be announced at an awards ceremony in central London on Tuesday 31st January 2017. </p><p>In 2012, Costa launched the Costa Short Story Award, a new Award for a single short story run in association with the Costa Book Awards but judged independently of the main five-category system. The Award is for a single, previously unpublished short story of up to 4,000 words by an author aged 18 years or over and written in English. </p><p>A panel of five judges will select a shortlist of three entries which will be revealed in November 2016. The public will then be invited to vote online for their favourite story from the three finalists. The two runners-up and winner will be announced at the Costa Book Awards ceremony on 31st January 2017. </p><p>- Ends -</p><p>______For further press information, please contact:</p><p>Amanda Johnson Costa Book Awards Press and Publicity Telephone: 07715 922180 Email: [email protected] </p><p>The Costa Book Awards:  The Costa Book Awards, formerly the Whitbread Book Awards, were established in 1971 to encourage, promote and celebrate the best contemporary British writing.  The Costa Book Awards have the single aim of celebrating the most enjoyable books of the last year by writers based in the UK and Ireland and have five categories: Novel, First Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book. </p><p>About Costa: Costa is the UK’s favourite coffee shop, having been awarded “Best Branded Coffee Shop Chain in the UK and Ireland" by Allegra Strategies for six years running (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & December 2015). </p><p>With 2,000 coffee shops in the UK and more than 1,180 in 30 overseas markets, Costa is the fastest growing coffee shop business in the UK. Founded in London by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971, Costa has become the UK’s favourite coffee shop chain and diversified into both the at- home and gourmet self-serve markets.</p><p>Costa is committed to looking after coffee-growers. That's why we've established The Costa Foundation, a registered charity. The Costa Foundation's aims are to relieve poverty, advance education and the health and environment of coffee-growing communities around the world. So far, The Costa Foundation has funded the building of 53 schools and improved the social and economic welfare of coffee-growing communities.</p><p>Costa is also committed to tackling the UK’s literacy challenge and is proud to have signed the Vision for Literacy Business Pledge 2016. In continuation of this commitment, and inspired by the Costa Book Awards and the ongoing work of the Costa Foundation, Costa launched its inaugural Reading Week in September 2016 in conjunction with over 500 schools across the UK.</p>