Hilary Mantel wins 2012 Costa novel prize

Hilary Mantel has won the 2012 Costa novel prize for her Booker Prize-winning book Bring Up The Bodies.

The judges described the historical story as "quite simply the best novel of the year".

Kathleen Jamie won the poetry category for her collection The Overhaul beating newcomer Sean Borodale.

Each winner will receive a £5,000 prize. Maggot Moon by the former illustrator Sally Gardiner took the Children's award.

The book sees her hero Standish take a stand against a ruthless regime which has taken his friend away.

The judges called it "truly outstanding with a unique voice, it's a magnificent book."

Sally Gardiner has described the award as "the most phenomenal" experience since becoming a full time writer.

"Maggot Moon is a book I've always wanted to write and Standish has been waiting to be written for years. It is thrilling that the story now stands defiant in the world" she said.

"It is a great honour to have won this award, and for me, it goes towards proving the power of dreams.'

Husband and wife team Mary and Bryan Talbot from Sunderland jointly won best biography for the graphic novel Dotter of Her Father's Eyes.

It is part personal history, part biography and tells the story of two interweaving father-daughter relationships.

Graphic novels were included in the shortlists for the Costa Book Awards for the first time in 2012.

It is Hilary Mantel's second award for Bring Up The Bodies, a historical novel about Thomas Cromwell, which also won the 2012 Man Booker Prize.

She became the first living UK author to receive the prize twice, having won it for its prequel Wolf Hall.

"I'm delighted, it is lovely and this is the first time I've have featured on a Costa shortlist I think, I've certainly never won one of the Costa prizes before" she told the BBC.

Mantel said the awards were not making her complacent: "I'm always greedy for readers, like every author.

"I had a letter from one the other day which confused Thomas Cromwell and Oliver Cromwell and when that is going on, I think there is work to be done."

Mantel beat off competition from James Meek's The Heart Broke In and Stephen May's Life! Death! Prizes!

Debut author Francesca Segal won the first novel category for The Innocents.

It is the story of childhood sweethearts, preparing to get married when a cousin turns up and puts temptation in one of their ways.

"It felt hard to believe that this affectionate, witty novel was the author's first," the judges said.

All five books, which were selected from more than 550 entries, will now compete for the 2012 Costa Book of the Year, which will be announced in London on 29 January.

A panel of judges including actress Jenny Agutter, comedian Mark Watson and chaired by the BBC Radio 4 broadcaster, Dame Jenni Murray will decide which is the overall winner - who will receive an additional £30,000 prize money.

Last year's Costa Book Prize went to Andrew Miller for his novel, Pure.

Source: BBC

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