The Costa Book Awards Logo
Good Question
It used to be the Whitbread Award named after the brewers, who now call themselves a hospitality company, and it started way back in 1971. For a full list if winners, you should read this list here.
In 2006 Costa Coffee came on board as the main sponsor and succeeded in raising the profile of the award at least in popular terms. It certainly made an incredible impact with the choices of judges and the success of some of he more recent winner. There is a PDF of all judges since 1971 here.
Is It All About The Money?
It is that impact in sales that really makes Costa impressive and important. Beginning with Stef Penny‘s Tenderness of Wolves which became a runaway success, winning a Costa has been seen as an almost assured ticket to huge sales.
Penny stormed the charts following her win securing in many ways the future of her publisher Quercus (who have also seen the enormous success with Stieg Larsson). When Sebastian Barry won the Costa for his novel Secret Scripture in 2009 he went on to enormous success. He sold some 70,000 copies in Ireland and over 300,000 in the UK.
Colm Toibin’s win might not result in such a bracing result because he has a somewhat more literary profile that might put off more mass market buyers. On the other hand, Brooklyn has already been selling fairly well and this may well push his book that little bit more.
It seems to me that the 2009 awards have so far been well received (the Overall Prize is yet to be awarded) and that bodes well for the press coverage essential to reinforce this win.
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