Press Release: Miscellaneous Announcements
William Hill Release Latest Odds For Costa Book Of The Year
Posted at 2:49PM Thursday 19 Jan 2012
With the 2011 Costa Book Awards only five days away, the latest odds from bookmakers William Hill have poet and debut biographer, Matthew Hollis, winner of the Costa Biography Award, as odds-on favourite with his biography of poet Edward Thomas, Now All Roads Lead to France: The Last Years of Edward Thomas, at 2-1.In joint second place, at 3-1, is Carol Ann Duffy for The Bees, her first collection since being appointed Poet Laureate in 2009, and novelist Andrew Miller with his sixth novel, Pure, which beat Julian Barnes' 2011 Man Booker-winning Sense of an Ending to take this year's Costa Novel Award. Closely behind in joint third place are debut writer and nurse, Christie Watson, winner of the Costa First Novel Award for Tiny Sunbirds Far Away, set in the Niger Delta, and former opera singer and first-time children's author, Moira Young, for Blood Red Road, currently being adapted for film by Scott Free, Ridley Scott's production company. The odds are: Matthew Hollis, Now All Roads Lead To France 2/1 Andrew Miller, Pure 3/1 Carol Ann Duffy, The Bees 3/1 Christie Watson, Tiny Sunbirds Far Away 5/1 Moira Young, Blood Red Road 5/1 The Costa Book Awards recognise the most enjoyable books of the last year by writers based in the UK and Ireland. Formerly known as the Whitbread Book Awards, Costa announced its takeover of the sponsorship of the UK's prestigious and popular book prize in 2006. The five Costa Book Award winners, each of whom will receive £5,000, were selected from 568 entries. The five books are now eligible for the ultimate prize, the 2011 Costa Book of the Year, worth a further £30,000. "I can only assume the judges' meeting will last for longer than ever before as this list boasts great quality and depth, and whoever comes out on top will be a very worthy winner", said William Hill spokesman, Graham Sharpe. The 2011 Costa Book of the Year winner will be announced at an awards ceremony at Quaglino's in central London on Tuesday 24th January 2012 by a panel of judges chaired by editor of the London Evening Standard, Geordie Greig.
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