Costa Book Awards

A new year means a new batch of books vying to win their category in the annual Costa Book Awards.

The ultimate victor of the Costa Book of the Year 2018 was revealed on Tuesday 29 January (Congratulations to Bart Van Es for The Cut Out Girl) but we’re going to look at all the category winners.  Why not try one for your next read?

Costa Novel Award Winner

Normal People by Sally Rooney - Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in rural Ireland. The similarities end there; they are from very different worlds. When they both earn places at Trinity College in Dublin, a connection that has grown between them lasts long into the following years.

This is an exquisite love story about how a person can change another person's life.

Costa First Novel Award Winner

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton - a celebration ends in tragedy. As fireworks explode overhead, Evelyn Hardcastle, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed.

But Evelyn will not die just once. Until Aiden - a guest at the party - can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again. Every time ending with the fateful pistol shot.  To break the cycle he must identify the killer…

Costa Children's Book Award Winner

The Skylarks’ War by Hilary McKay - The Skylarks' War is a beautiful story of a family growing up against the harsh backdrop of World War One.

Clarry and her brother Peter live for their Cornwall summers.  But normal life resumes each September – boarding school for Peter and Rupert, and a boring life for Clarry at home with her absent father, as the shadow of a terrible war looms ever closer.  Can their family survive this fearful war?

Costa Biography Award Winner

The Cut Out Girl by Bart Van Es - Little Lien wasn't taken from her Jewish parents - she was given away in the hope that she might be saved. Hidden and raised by a foster family during the Nazi occupation, she survived the war only to find that her real parents had not. Much later, she fell out with her foster family, and Bart van Es - the grandson of Lien's foster parents - knew he needed to find out why.

Costa Poetry Award 2018 Winner

Assurances by J.O. Morgan - A war-poem both historic and frighteningly topical, Assurances begins in the 1950s during a period of vigilance and dread in the middle of the Cold War: the long stand-off between nuclear powers, where the only defence was the threat of mutually assured destruction.

Gyda blwyddyn newydd daw casgliad newydd o lyfrau sy’n ceisio ennill yn eu categori yng Ngwobrau Llyfrau blynyddol Costa.

Cyhoeddwyd enillydd Llyfr y Flwyddyn Costa 2018 ar ddydd Mawrth 29 Ionawr (Llongyfarchiadau i Bart Van Es am The Cut Out Girl) ond rydym ni am gymryd cipolwg ar enillwyr y categorïau.  Pam na rowch chi dro ar un y tro nesaf?

Enillydd Gwobr Nofel Costa

Normal People gan Sally Rooney - Mae Connell a Marianne yn tyfu i fyny yn yr un dref fach yn Iwerddon wledig.  Dyna ddiwedd y tebygrwydd; maen nhw’n dod o fydoedd gwahanol iawn.  Pan fo’r ddau yn cael lle yng Ngholeg y Drindod yn Nulyn  mae cysylltiad sydd wedi tyfu rhyngddyn nhw'n parhau dros y blynyddoedd a ddaw.

Stori serch deimladwy ynglŷn â sut all rhywun newid bywyd rhywun arall.

Enillydd Gwobr Nofel Gyntaf Costa

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle gan Stuart Turton – mae dathliad yn troi’n drasiedi.  Wrth i dân gwyllt frwydro, caiff Evelyn Hardcastle, merch ifanc a phrydferth y tŷ, ei lladd.

Ond dyw Evelyn ddim yn fodlon marw ond unwaith. Hyd nes y gall Aiden – gwestai yn y parti – ddatrys dirgelwch ei llofruddiaeth, bydd y diwrnod yn ailadrodd ei hun, drosodd a throsodd, gan orffen bob tro gyda thrawiad marwol y gwn. Er mwyn torri’r cylch, rhaid iddo gael hyd i’r llofrudd …

Enillydd Gwobr Llyfr Plant Costa

The Skylarks’ War gan Hilary McKay – Stori hyfryd yw The Skylarks' War am deulu’n tyfu yn ystod cyni a chaledi’r Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf.

Mae Clarry a’i brawd Peter yn edrych ymlaen at eu hafau yng Nghernyw.  Ond daw bywyd arferol yn ôl bob mis Medi – ysgol breswyl i Peter a Rupert, a bywyd diflas i Clarry gartref gyda’i thad yn absennol, wrth i gysgod rhyfel erchyll droedio’n nes. All y teulu oroesi’r rhyfel brawychus hwn?

Enillydd Gwobr Cofiant Costa

The Cut Out Girl gan Bart Van Es – Chafodd Lien ‘mo’i chymryd oddi wrth ei rhieni Iddewig – cafodd ei rhoi i ffwrdd yn y gobaith y cai ei hachub.  Fe’i cuddiwyd ac fe’i magwyd gan deulu maeth yn ystod goresgyniad y Natsïaid, llwyddodd i oroesi ond daeth i ddeall na fu ei rhieni fyw. Yn nes ymlaen, aeth i ffraeo gyda’i theulu maeth, ac roedd Bart van Es – ŵyr rhieni maeth Lien – yn gwybod bod rhaid iddo ganfod pam.

Enillydd Gwobr Barddoniaeth Costa 2018

Assurances gan J.O. Morgan – Cerdd rhyfel sy’n hanesyddol ac yn frawychus o gyfoes, mae Assurances yn dechrau yn y 1950au yn ystod cyfnod o wyliadwriaeth ac ofn yng nghanol y rhyfel oer: yr anghytundeb rhwng y grymoedd niwclear, pan mai’r unig amddiffyniad oedd y bygythiad o ddinistr ar y cyd.