Press
Press Release
01/15/2007
Final Judging Panel announced for 2006 Costa Book Awards
FINAL JUDGING PANEL ANNOUNCED FOR 2006 COSTA BOOK AWARDS
- Fashion model Erin O'Connor, journalist and author, Carol Thatcher, broadcaster Kate Adie, lawyer and writer, Clive Anderson and TV and radio presenter Simon Mayo confirmed as final judges
- Comedy writer and director, Armando Iannucci to Chair
- Writers Sophie Kinsella, Adle Geras, Elaine Feinstein and Francis Wheen complete the panel
London 15th January 2007: Fashion model Erin O'Connor will be a member of the final judging panel which selects the overall winner of the 2006 Costa Book of the Year, worth 25,000, it was announced today.
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 most prestigious book prize last year.
Erin joins a panel chaired by comedy writer and director, Armando Iannucci, which also includes journalist and author, Carol Thatcher, lawyer and writer, Clive Anderson, TV and radio presenter Simon Mayo, and broadcaster Kate Adie, who is also representing the Costa Novel Award category.
The other four category judging panels are represented by authors Sophie Kinsella (First Novel), Adle Geras (Children's Book Award), Elaine Feinstein (Poetry) and Francis Wheen (Biography).
The final judges will meet on Wednesday, 7th February 2007, to select the winner of the Award, which will be announced at a ceremony later that evening.
The awards ceremony will be hosted by journalist and broadcaster Mariella Frostrup, herself a final judge in 2004.
John Derkach, Managing Director, Costa said: "The Costa Book Awards celebrate the best of British writing and aim to select books that can be enjoyed by everyone. Costa is delighted to have a final judging panel of such distinguished personalities, all of whom share a passion for excellent writing and enjoyable reading, to undertake the task of selecting the first-ever Costa Book of the Year."
Former final judges have included Emilia Fox, Michael Morpurgo, Hugh Grant, Ralph Fiennes, Jerry Hall, Ian Hislop, Jonathan Ross, and Kirsty Young. Recent winners of the Book of the Year include Hilary Spurling (2005), Andrea Levy (2004), Mark Haddon (2003), Philip Pullman, Seamus Heaney and the late Ted Hughes.
www.costabookawards.com
For further press information, images or to arrange an interview with a final judge, please contact:
Amanda Johnson
Costa Book Awards Press and Publicity
Telephone: 020 7751 2039 (direct line) or 07715 922180 (mobile)
Email: Amanda.Johnson@whitbread.com
Notes for Editors:
The Costa Book Awards, formerly the Whitbread Book Awards, were established in 1971 to encourage, promote and celebrate the best contemporary British writing.
2. The total prize fund for the Costa Book Awards stands at ?50,000. The award winners from the five categories - Novel, First Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book - each receive ?5,000.
3. The overall Costa Book of the Year is selected from the five category Award winners with the winner receiving a further ?25,000.
4. The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel, central London on 7th February, 2007.
About Costa:
Costa, founded by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971, is the UK's market leading coffee shop brand. With over 500 stores in the UK and a further 150 stores overseas, Costa has enjoyed a remarkable period of growth since it opened its first store, and is currently the fastest-growing coffee shop chain in the UK.
Costa's in-store baristas are all coached in the art of coffee-making at the companys unique Costa Coffee Academy. The Academy is based at its own roastery in Lambeth, London - where Costa's coffee beans are slow-roasted using a traditional Italian method to give the smooth distinctive, Costa flavour.
As pioneers of caf culture in the UK, Costa inspired the creation of popular and convenient concessions stores in locations such as Waterstones and WH Smiths bookstores, and BAA outlets. A welcome respite for shoppers to relax, unwind and enjoy a revitalising cup of coffee crafted the Italian way.
For final Judging Panel Biographies, see below.
Armando Iannucci (Chairman): Comedy writer and director
Armando Iannucci is a comic writer, performer, director and producer. He read English at Oxford University and began his career working for BBC Radio Scotland. He has been a key figure in British radio and television comedy throughout the nineties and to the present day, having written, directed and produced numerous television and radio shows, including I'm Alan Partridge, The Thick Of It and, most recently, Time Trumpet. So far, he has a BAFTA, two Sony Radio Awards and three British Comedy Awards to his name. He also jointly received a Writers' Guild Award with Chris Morris for On The Hour. He was Visiting Professor of Broadcast Media at Oxford University for the academic year 2005/6.
Kate Adie: Author and broadcaster (representing the Novel Award panel)
Kate Adie is considered to be among the very finest reporters, as well as one of the first British women to send despatches from danger zones around the world, as the BBCs Chief News Correspondent. She is also familiar as the presenter of Radio Fours From Our Own Correspondent and regularly appears as a guest on many other radio and television programmes. She has been named Reporter of the Year twice by the Royal Television Society and is currently working on her fourth book about why and how people work in highly dangerous occupations.
Clive Anderson: Broadcaster and writer
By profession Clive Anderson is a barrister, but he is best known for his television and radio presenting which has led to a very successful dual career in law and broadcasting. He was awarded the television industry's Comedy Presenter of the Year Award in 1991, and in 1992 won the British Comedy Award for Top Channel 4 Presenter. Clive currently chairs Radio 4's Unreliable Evidence, and recently finished recording a series of Clive Anderson's Chat Room for Radio 2 and presenting The Last Word, More 4's daily flagship panel show.
Elaine Feinstein: Poet (representing the Poetry Award panel)
Elaine Feinstein has worked as a University Lecturer, a sub-editor, and a freelance journalist, but since 1980 she has lived as a full-time writer. She has written fourteen novels including The Border, Loving Brecht, Dreamers, Lady Chatterley's Confession and her most recent, Dark Inheritance. She has also written radio plays, television dramas, and five biographies. Her forthcoming book of poems, Talking to the Dead, comes out from Carcanet in March 2007.
Adle Geras: Writer (representing the Children's Book Award panel)
Adle Geras was born in Jerusalem in 1944 and her early childhood was spent in Nigeria, North Borneo and the Gambia. Her first book appeared in 1976, and since then she has published more than 90 titles for children and young adults including Troy which was shortlisted for the 2000 Whitbread Childrens Book Award. She has also won several prizes for her poetry for adults. She is married to Norman Geras, Emeritus Professor at the University of Manchester, where they have lived since 1967.
Sophie Kinsella: Author (representing the First Novel Award panel)
Sophie Kinsella is the author of The Undomestic Goddess, Can You Keep A Secret?, and the Shopaholic series. She read PPE at Oxford and worked as a financial journalist before publishing her first novel, The Tennis Party, in 1995 under her real name, Madeleine Wickham. She has subsequently written thirteen further novels, seven under the name Sophie Kinsella. Her books are translated into over thirty languages. She lives in London with her husband and three sons.
Simon Mayo: TV and radio presenter
Simon Mayo has had a long and distinguished career in radio and TV. He began his radio career on the student radio station, Radio Warwick, whilst studying history and politics at Warwick University. He then spent time honing his radio skills at Southlands Hospital Radio and BBC Radio Nottingham before joining BBC Radio 1 in 1986. He spent five years hosting the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, generally considered the most prestigious job in radio. Simons TV credits include hosting the BBC1 game show Confessions, The National Lottery Winning Lines and BBC 2s The Big Dig. He currently presents Radio 2s Album Chart Show and has his own show on Radio 5 Live, The Simon Mayo Show, on weekday afternoons.
Erin OConnor: Fashion model, freelance writer and Vice-Chairman of The British Fashion Council
Erin OConnor grew up on the outskirts of Birmingham and dreamt of becoming a ballerina. Her career plan took a very different route when she was spotted out shopping and within a few months found herself working on a Versace campaign. Since then she has appeared on many magazine covers including Vogue, and fronted numerous campaigns including Chanel, Givenchy, Donna Karen, Valentino and Dolce and Gabbana. For the last two years, Erin has been the face of Marks and Spencer - the campaign is now renowned as the retailer's most successful. Erin is Vice-Chairman of The British Fashion Council and has recently established herself as a contributing writer to titles such as Vogue, The Times and the Evening Standard.
Carol Thatcher: Journalist, broadcaster and author
Carol Thatcher, daughter of Denis and Margaret Thatcher, is a freelance broadcaster and journalist and author of four books. She studied law at University College London before moving into a career in journalism spanning the Sydney Morning Herald, BBC Radio 4, TV-AM and The Daily Telegraph. Her published works include Below the Parapet, a biography of her father, and Diary of an Election, an insider's look at the campaign trail of Margaret Thatcher. In 2005, Carol survived 16 days in an Australian jungle camp to be crowned Queen of the Jungle winning the fifth series of ITV1's reality TV show Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!
Francis Wheen: Writer (representing the Biography Award panel)
Francis Wheen is a journalist, author and broadcaster. He was named Columnist of the Year at the What the Papers Say Awards in 1997 for his Wheens World page in the Guardian. His latest books are How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World: A Short History of Modern Delusions and Karl Marxs Das Kapital: A Biography. He is currently Deputy Editor of Private Eye and a regular panellist on the BBC programme The News Quiz.
www.costabookawards.com
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