Hilary Mantel has won the Costa Book of the Year award for "Bring Up the Bodies," the first time an author has received that prize and the Man Booker Prize for the same novel.
Mantel won the Man Booker Prize for "Wolf Hall" in 2009 and again in 2012 for "Bring Up the Bodies", so the Costa judges, who had already awarded "Bring Up The Bodies" best novel, were under some pressure not to award it the overall prize, but as Jenni Murray, chairman of the judging panel says, "We couldn't allow the number of times it's already been lauded to affect our decision...It was quite simply the best book." The decision by the nine judges was unanimous.
Mantel won the Man Booker Prize for "Wolf Hall" in 2009 and again in 2012 for "Bring Up the Bodies", so the Costa judges, who had already awarded "Bring Up The Bodies" best novel, were under some pressure not to award it the overall prize, but as Jenni Murray, chairman of the judging panel says, "We couldn't allow the number of times it's already been lauded to affect our decision...It was quite simply the best book." The decision by the nine judges was unanimous.