New Writing

Novels by UEA alumnae Anne Enright and Tasha Kavanagh have been shortlisted for the 2015 Costa Book Awards. Anne Enright is nominated for the Costa Novel Award for The Green Road, published Jonathan Cape, while Tasha Kavanagh is nominated for the Costa First Novel Award for Things We Have in Common, published by Canongate. Tasha (pictured) graduated from the UEA MA in Creative Writing in 1992 and has worked in film editing for ten years. She has also published nine picture books for children under her maiden name, Tasha Pym, including most recently Have You Ever Seen A Sneep?, illustrated by Joel Stewart. Anne graduated from the UEA MA in Creative Writing in 1987. Her first book, a collection of short stories called The Portable Virgin, was published in 1991 and was the winner of the Rooney Prize. Among her novels are The Gathering (2007), which won the 2007 Man Booker Prize and the Irish Novel of the Year Award, and The Forgotten Waltz (2011), winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal. Earlier this year she was appointed as the inaugural Laureate for Irish Fiction, while The Green Road was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. The five category winners of the Costa Book Awards will be announced on 4th January 2016 and will each receive £5,000. The overall winner of the Costa Book of the Year will receive £30,000 and will be announced on 26th January 2016.