Sebastian Barry Wins Costa Novel Award

Irish writer Sebastian Barry has won the Costa Novel Award for his book Days Without End.

Barry's work, set in the wars of 1850s America, has been hailed by judges as a "miracle of a book".

This is the second time that Barry – one of the most highly regarded Irish writers if the past two decades – has won the Costa Book of the Year. He was previously victorious in 2008 when his fourth novel The Secret Scripture, took the top prize. The book has recently been turned into a film, directed by Jim Sheridan and starring Rooney Mara, Aidan Turner and Jack Reynor. The film was produced by Noel Pearson.

Among the previous winners of the Costa Novel Award are Salman Rushdie (The Moor's Last Sigh, 1995), William Boyd (Restless, 2006), Colm Toibin (Brooklyn, 2009), Kate Atkinson (A God In Ruins, 2015).

Gibraltar born Keggie Carew, meanwhile, has won the Costa Biography Award for her superb Dadland – memoir in which she attempts to learn about about her father's past as he slips into dementia. The highly rated Alice Oswald, a poet from Reading in England, has been named as winner of the Costa Poetry Award for Falling Awake. This collection of poems wass written to be read aloud.
Originally from Scotland, but now based in Ireland, the 45 year old Brian Conaghan has scooped the Costa Children's Book Award for The Bombs That Brought Us Together. Finally, Francis Spufford – who is best known for his non-fiction writing – won the First Novel Award for his debut work of fiction Golden Hill.

The five winning authors were selected from a total of 596 entries. Each will each receive a cash prize and they will now compete for the overall 2016 Costa Book of the Year award.

The winner will be announced at a ceremony, which will be hosted by the broadcaster Penny Smith, at Quaglino's in London on January 3, 2017.