Hilary Mantel adds Costa triumph to Booker win

Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies made literary history again last night by becoming the first book to win both the Costa Book of the Year Award and the Man Booker Prize in the same year

The 2012 Costa Book of the Year Award, worth £30,000, was presented at a ceremony last night.

Hilary Mantel was the bookie's favourite to beat Costa category winners Francesca Segal (best debut novel); Kathleen Jamie (best poet); Mary and Bryan Talbot (best non-fiction), and Sally Gardner (best children's book).

Jenni Murray, chair of the final judges, said: 'Despite a lengthy discussion, there was no doubt which book stood head and shoulders above the rest and there was absolute unanimity about our decision.  Every hand went up for Bring Up the Bodies. Hilary Mantel writes beautiful, poetic prose, set in its time but also incredibly modern.  It’s a book I’ll go back to again and again.'

The inaugural Costa Short Story Award, for a single, unpublished short story, was also announced at the Costa awards ceremony last night. Worth £3,500m it was won by Avril Joy for Millie and Bird.

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