Andrew Miller was awarded the Costa Book Award 2011 for his novel Pure, published by Sceptre, at the prize ceremony in London last night.
Pure has received much critical acclaim since hardback publication in 2011. “Every so often a historical novel comes along that is so natural, so far from pastiche, so modern, that it thrills and expands the mind. Pure is one” said the Telegraph; the Guardian called it “Gripping”; the Literary Review said it was “Superb”.
At the Costa awards ceremony, Chair of the judging panel Geordie Greig said: “Pure is a rich and evocative historical novel which engrosses with its vivid portrait of pre-revolutionary France,” describing the novel as a “memorable gothic tale of morality and mortality”.
Pure beat competition from Matthew Hollis’ biography category-winner Now All Roads Lead to France (Faber) and poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy’s The Bees (Picador).
Miller thanked agent Simon Trewin and Sceptre publisher Carole Welch, whom he called “the best editor in London”.
