Costa Book Awards 2007

Costa, the UK's fastest-growing coffee shop chain, has announced the shortlists for the 2008 Costa Book Awards. 

The Costa Book Awards recognise some of the most enjoyable books in five categories - First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book - published in the last year by writers based in the UK and Ireland. 

This year's Costa Book Awards attracted 616 entries - the highest-ever number of submissions in one year.

Announced live tonight on BBC Radio 4's Front Row programme, this year's lists include A Partisan's Daughter by Louis de Bernieres, Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill and The Broken Word by Adam Foulds.

Click here for full details.

Listen to BBC Radio 4's Front Row programme tonight at 7.15pm to be the first to find out which books are on the 2008 Costa Book Awards shortlists!

Front Row presenter Mark Lawson will be joined in the studio by Literary Editor of the Financial Times Jan Dalley and Literary Editor of The Daily Telegraph, Sam Leith, to reveal and discuss the 20 books nominated for this year's awards.

Check back here after the programme for more information on this year's nominated books and authors...

This month the Director of the Costa Book Awards, Bud McLintock, has taken time out from the manic schedule of preparing for the 2008 Awards to put forward her suggested read for the November 2008 Costa Book Club.

It's The Bark of the Dogwood - and as several other readers have testified, it's a beautiful story. You can read Bud's review here. Have you read Bark of the Dogwood? Let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below.

The judging competition is now closed and we are reviewing the very many entries. o you love books? Have a passion for reading? And like to express your opinions on both? Then we want to hear from you!

For the first time, Costa is offering one avid reader a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join the final judging panel of this year's Costa Book Awards and have a say in which book is named Costa Book of the Year 2008.

To find out more click here...

Our writer-in-residence, Davey Spens, has been back in London for a few weeks - and the latest instalment of Chapter 4 is now online: Wimbledon Village. Were you the woman with the suitcase that inspired this one?

This month, ITN newsreader Alastair Stewart has put forward one of his favourite books for us to enjoy; the remarkable diaries of a WW1 Officer.

Do take some time to read the recommendation and we hope that you will be inspired to pick up a copy of this wonderful book. Read the review by Alastair - or as you're here, why don't you take a chance and enter the draw to win one of five copies?

We're very pleased to announce the three young book worms who are winners of this year's Costa Young Judges competition. They are Sylvie Pope (aged 10) from Abingdon, Kambole Campbell (aged 13) from Farnham and 12-year-old Gwen Baines from West Kirby who were picked by bestselling children's author Jacqueline Wilson from a staggering 1800 entries.

Sylvie, Kambole and Gwen are now tasked with deciding the winner of the Costa Children's Book Award 2008.  For more information and to read their reviews, click here.