O’Flynn wins Costa First Novel Award

Former postwoman wins major literary award

3 January 2008

Catherine O’Flynn has been named the winner of the Costa First Novel Award with her novel What Was Lost, the story of a security guard who recognises a child on CCTV 20 years after her disappearance.

What Was Lost was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2007, as well as being longlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction and shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award.

O’Flynn’s debut novel was rejected several times before being picked up by independent publishers Tindal Street Press. The Birmingham based publisher also published Clare Morrall’s novel Astonishing Splashes of Colour, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2003.

O’Flynn, 37, worked as a postwoman and box office assistant while writing the novel. The judges for this year’s Costa Book Awards described What Was Lost as “a formidable novel blending humour and pathos in a cleverly constructed and absorbing mystery. An extraordinary book and a superb first novel.”

‘Winning the Costa for a first novel,’ said Alan Mahar, Publishing Director,’ is a tremendous achievement for any author, on a par with being shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Since Catherine’s debut was first published a year ago it has received universal acclaim, from readers and reviewers, as well as being listed for so many prizes. Everybody seems to love the book – it’s the prize-winner you can recommend to anyone. We are very proud of our accomplished author.’

All five category winners of the awards, which used to be known as the Whitbreads, will receive £5,000 and go on to compete for the £25,000 overall book of the year prize that will be announced on 22 January 2008. More information is available at the Costa Book Awards website.

Read our interview with Catherine O’Flynn when she made the Man Booker Dozen 2007 in our Perspective section.

There is also an article written by Alan Mahar, Publishing Director of Tindal Street Press, in the same section.

More information about Catherine O’Flynn and What Was Lost can be found at the Tindal Street Press website.

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