News & Reviews

WORD: 'Keeping Mum' author Brian Thompson odds-on favorite to win Costa Book of the Year

Bettors around the world can wager on this week’s Costa Book Awards, the UK's most prestigious book prize, at online casino William Hill, event organizers announced. The oddsmaker posted Costa Biography Award winner Brian Thompson as a 2/1 favorite to win the overall award for his memoir 'Keeping Mum'.

William Boyd’s best-selling novel, 'Restless' is currently at 5-2, followed closely by debut writer, Stef Penney, with her first novel, 'The Tenderness of Wolves' at 3/1 (bettors would win $300 for every $100 wagered).

Children's Book Award winner Linda Newbery and poet John Haynes are currently tied in fourth place with 6/1 each for their works 'Set in Stone' and 'Letter to Patience', respectively.

The Costa Book Awards recognize the most enjoyable books of the last year by writers based in the UK and Ireland. Formerly known as the Whitbread Book Awards, Costa announced its takeover of the sponsorship last year.

The five Costa Book Award winners, each of whom will receive £5,000, were selected from 580 entries, the highest total ever received in one year since the Book Awards began. The five books are now eligible for the ultimate prize, the 2006 Costa Book of the Year.

The winner will be announced at The Grosvenor House Hotel in central London on Wednesday, February 7, 2007 by a panel of judges chaired by the comedy writer and director, Armando Iannucci.

In addition to cultural events like the Costa Book Awards, William Hill's website offers lines on major sports such as basketball, football, and boxing, and hosts online poker tournaments.

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