Scottish comedian wins Costa Book Award
LONDON (AP) -January 24, 2008 Kennedy, 42, will receive $50,000 for her novel, which the chair
of the judging panel, author Joanna Trollope, called "perfectly,
beautifully written."
"(It's) very witty, very lyrical, it's quite dark," Trollope
said this week. "Her style is arresting. There's a shadow of James
Joyce in it."
Candidates for the award included Simon Sebag Montefiore's
"Young Stalin," an account of the Soviet dictator's formative
years; former teacher and postal worker Catherine O'Flynn's "What
Was Lost"; Jean Sprackland's poetry collection, "Tilt"; and Ann
Kelley's children's book, "The Bower Bird."
Kennedy has published four previous novels and several
short-story collections and performs regularly as a comic.
The prize, known until 2006 as the Whitbread Book of the Year
Award, was established in 1971. Competition is open to residents of
Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
The awards were renamed two years ago after sponsorship switched
from retail and leisure group Whitbread Group PLC to the Costa
coffee shop chain.
