Costa Book Awards 2021: Complete list of winners

The 2021 Costa Book Awards showcased the breadth of contemporary British and Irish literature, recognizing writers across five categories with the kind of prestige that has made this award a cornerstone of the UK literary calendar for decades. The Costa Book Awards, known for championing both established and emerging voices, delivered a particularly striking year with winners who represent fascinating contrasts—from Claire Fuller’s psychologically complex Unsettled Ground taking the Novel prize to debut author Caleb Azumah Nelson’s innovative Open Water claiming the First Novel award. These selections reveal a judging panel eager to honor both literary sophistication and bold narrative experimentation.

What made this year’s winners particularly compelling was their diversity of approach and subject matter. Hannah Lowe’s The Kids, which won the Poetry category, sits alongside John Preston’s meticulously researched biography Fall: The Mystery of Robert Maxwell, while Manjeet Mann’s The Crossing proved that children’s literature continues to push boundaries and deserve serious critical attention. The spread of winners demonstrates that the Costa Book Awards remain committed to recognizing excellence across genres rather than privileging any single type of storytelling—a principle that has sustained the award’s relevance and reader engagement over its long history.

Below, you’ll find the complete breakdown of this year’s winners and their achievements:

Biography

• Fall: The Mystery of Robert Maxwell by John Preston

Children’s Book

• The Crossing by Manjeet Mann

First Novel

• Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

Novel

• Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller

Poetry

• The Kids by Hannah Lowe