Booker prize winner Mantel makes Costa shortlist

25 November 2009

Booker winner Hilary Mantel has made the Costa Book shortlist with her novel Wolf Hall. Mantel will go up against Colm Toibin, Christopher Nicholson and Penelope lively in the best novel category, which will be announced on 5th January, followed by a lavish ceremony in London on 26th January where an overall winner will be chosen.

 Wolf Hall is told through the eyes of the arch-fixer, Thomas Cromwell, who gambled his life to win the king's favour and eventually rose up from being a blacksmiths son, to being the most powerful man in England after the king.

To be eligible for the Costa prize, all works must have been written authors from UK or Ireland and have been published in the last year. This year's judges include Fiona Phillips, Neal Pearson, and Sandra Howard.