2001 Whitbread Awards

The Whitbread Awards (since 2006 called the Costa Book Awards) are among the United Kingdom's most prestigious literary awards. They were launched in 1971, are given both for high literary merit but also for works that are enjoyable reading and whose aim is to convey the enjoyment of reading to the widest possible audience. This page gives details of the awards given in the year 2001.

2001 was the first year that a book in the children's category was chosen as book of the year.

Book of the Year

Philip Pullman, The Amber Spyglass

Children's Book

Winner:

• Philip Pullman, The Amber Spyglass

Shortlist:

• Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl
• Eva Ibbotson, Journey to the River Sea
• Terry Jones, The Lady and the Squire

First Novel

Winner:

• Sid Smith, Something Like A House

Shortlist:

• Will Eaves, The Oversight
• Carl Tighe, Burning Worm
• Gerard Woodward, August

Novel

Winner:

• Patrick Neate, Twelve Bar Blues

Shortlist:

• Helen Dunmore, The Siege
• Ian McEwan, Atonement
• Andrew Miller, Oxygen

Biography

Winner:

• Diana Souhami, Selkirk's Island

Shortlist:

• Anthony Bailey, A View of Delft
• Adam Sisman, Boswell's Presumptuous Task
• Geoffrey Wall, Flaubert: A Life

Poetry

Winner:

• Selima Hill, Bunny

Shortlist :

• Charles Boyle, The Age of Cardboard and String
• Wendy Cope, If I don't know
• John Stammers, Panoramic Lounge-Bar

References

• Previous winners