The Costa Book Awards

The Costa Book Awards are here once more, recognising English-language books by writers based in Britain and Ireland as they have done for nearly 50 years.  The Costa Book of the Year ('Volunteer:  The True Story of the Resistance Hero who Infiltrated Auschwitz' by Jack Fairweather) was selected on the 28 January from the winners of each of these five categories:

FIRST NOVEL

The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins - 1826, and all of London is in a frenzy. Crowds gather at the gates of the Old Bailey to watch as Frannie Langton, maid to Mr and Mrs Benham, goes on trial for their murder. The testimonies against her are damning - slave, whore, seductress. And they may be the truth. But they are not the whole truth.

NOVEL

Middle England by Jonathan Coe - Beginning eight years ago on the outskirts of Birmingham, where car factories have been replaced by Poundland, and London, where frenzied riots give way to Olympic fever, Middle England follows a brilliantly vivid cast of characters through a time of immense change.

BIOGRAPHY

Volunteer:  The True Story of the Resistance Hero who Infiltrated Auschwitz by Jack Fairweather - The incredible story of Witold Pilecki, a Polish resistance fighter who volunteered to be imprisoned in Auschwitz where he forged an underground army, sabotaged facilities, assassinated Nazi officers, gathered evidence of the mass murder of the Jews and spread news of the Holocaust to the Allies.

POETRY

Flèche by Mary Jean Chan - Mary Jean Chan evokes the difficulties of reconciling one’s need for safety alongside the desire to shed one’s protective armour in order to fully embrace the world. This is a collection that feels urgent and true, dazzling and devastating by turns.

CHILDREN’S BOOK

Asha and the Spirit Bird by Jasbinder Bilan - From her den in the mango tree, Asha makes a pact with her best friend, Jeevan, to find her father and sort out all of life’s problems. But the journey is dangerous: they must cross the world's highest mountains and face hunger, tiredness - even snow leopards.

And yet, Asha has the unshakeable sense that the spirit bird of her grandmother - her nanijee - will be watching over her.

Why not try one of these award winners this month?

Mae Gwobrau Llyfrau Costa yma unwaith eto, yn cydnabod llyfrau Saesneg eu hiaith gan awduron ym Mhrydain ac Iwerddon, fel y maent wedi ei wneud am bron i 50 o flynyddoedd. Dewiswyd Llyfr y Flwyddyn Costau ('Volunteer:  The True Story of the Resistance Hero who Infiltrated Auschwitz' gan Jack Fairweather) ar 28 Ionawr o’r buddugol ym mhob un o’r pum categori yma:

NOFEL GYNTAF

The Confessions of Frannie Langton gan Sara Collins - 1826, ac mae Llundain mewn cynnwrf. Mae torfeydd yn ymgasglu ger gatiau’r Old Bailey i wylio wrth i Frannie Langton, morwyn Mr a Mrs Benham, gael ei dwyn i dreial am eu llofruddio. Mae’r dystiolaeth yn ei herbyn yn ddamniol – caethwas, putain, hudoles. Ac efallai bod hyn yn wir. Ond nid dyna’r gwirionedd cyfan.

NOFEL

Middle England gan Jonathan Coe – Yn cychwyn wyth mlynedd yn ôl ar gyrion Birmingham, lle mae’r ffatrïoedd ceir wedi eu disodli gan Poundland, a Llundain, lle mae terfysgoedd gwyllt yn cael eu disodli gan seremoni agoriadol y Gemau Olympaidd, mae Middle England yn dilyn cast disglair o gymeriadau drwy gyfnod o newid anferth.

BYWGRAFFIAD

Volunteer:  The True Story of the Resistance Hero who Infiltrated Auschwitz gan Jack Fairweather – Hanes anhygoel Witold Pilecki, ymladdwr gwrthsafiad Pwylaidd a wirfoddolodd i gael i garcharu yn Auschwitz lle lluniodd fyddin danddaearol, gan difrodi cyfleusterau, llofruddio swyddogion Natsiaidd, casglu tystiolaeth llofruddiaeth yr Iddewon a dod â newyddion y Llosgaberth i’r Cynghreiriaid.

BARDDONIAETH

Flèche gan Mary Jean Chan – Mae Mary Jean Chan yn disgrifio anawsterau cysoni angen rhywun am ddiogelwch gyda’r dymuniad i ddiosg arfwisg amddiffynnol er mwyn cofleidio’r byd yn llawn. Mae hwn yn gasgliad sy’n teimlo fel un llawn gwirionedd, sy’n disgleirio a distrywio yn ei dro.

LLYFR PLANT

Asha and the Spirit Bird gan Jasbinder Bilan – O’i ffau yn y goeden mango, mae Asha yn llunio cytundeb gyda’i ffrind gorau, Jeevan, i gael hyd i’w thad a delio gyda holl broblemau bywyd. Ond mae’r daith yn beryglus: rhaid iddynt groesi mynyddoedd uchaf y byd a wynebu newyn, blinder – hyd yn oed llewpardiaid yr eira.

Ac eto, mae gan Asha deimlad ddisyflyd bod aderyn-ysbryd ei nain - ei nanijee – yn gwylio drosti.

Pam na roddwch gynnig ar un o’r rhain y mis yma?