By . Ryan Kisiel . Kate Atkinson is on course to make literary history by becoming the first woman to win the prestigious Costa Book of the Year Award twice . Kate Atkinson is on course to make literary history by becoming the first woman to win the prestigious Costa Book of the Year Award twice. The author, who first won in 1995 with  her debut novel Behind The Scenes At The Museum, yesterday scooped the Costa Novel Award for her latest title, Life After Life. The win means she has been placed on the shortlist for Costa Book Of The Year, a £30,000 prize which will be announced at the end of the month. Only poets Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes have won this main award twice, meaning Miss Atkinson, 62, would also be the first novelist to win the prize twice. Award organisers pointed out that if she wins, then women will have taken all the recent major literary awards, the shortlists of which are usually dominated by men. For example, last year New Zealander Eleanor Catton won the Man Booker Prize for The Luminaries. And Lucy Hughes-Hallett, who is favourite to win the Costa award after winning the biography category, was awarded the Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction for The Pike, her account of the life of fascist poet Gabriele D’Annunzio. In 2012 Hilary Mantel won both the Costa and the Man Booker for Bring Up The Bodies, the second book in her trilogy about the court of Henry VIII. Life After Life is Miss Atkinson’s eighth novel and is the story of a young woman called Ursula Todd in wartime Britain. Miss . Atkinson is best-known for the international bestseller Behind The . Scenes At The Museum and her 2004 novel Case Histories, the first of her . detective books featuring character Jackson Brodie, which has been . adapted into a TV series. The author, who first won in 1995 with her debut novel Behind The Scenes At The Museum, yesterday scooped the Costa Novel Award for her latest title, Life After Life . Miss . Atkinson, 62, said: ‘I am absolutely delighted to have won the Costa . Novel Award, and would like to thank the judges for choosing Life After . Life.’ The other category . winners include The Shock Of The Fall, the debut penned by a former . mental health nurse Nathan Filer, 32, who won the first novel award. The book - the story of a teenager’s descent into madness as he confronts his role in the childhood death of his older brother - was snapped up by publisher HarperCollins for a ‘substantial’ six-figure sum. Writer and TV presenter Clive James was on the shortlist to win the poetry prize for his translation of Italian poet Dante, but was beaten to the award by poet Michael Symmons Roberts. Mr Roberts has won the poetry award for the second time, this time with his sixth collection Drysalter. Writer and TV presenter Clive James (left) was on the shortlist to win the poetry prize for his translation of Italian poet Dante, but was beaten to the award by poet Michael Symmons Roberts (right) The children’s book award was won by political cartoonist, author and illustrator Chris Riddell for Goth Girl And The Ghost Of A Mouse. Lucy Hughes-Hallett was named winner of the biography award for The Pike, an account of the life of poet Gabriele D’Annunzio. Last year Hillary Mantel won both the Costa and Booker prize for Bring Up the Bodies, the second novel in a planned trilogy chronicling the life of King Henry VIII’s advisor Thomas Cromwell. The winners of each category receive £5,000 with an overall winner getting a further £30,000 at this month’s ceremony in central London. The Costa, formerly the Whitbread, is open to authors resident in the UK and Ireland.
Author first won in 1995 with debut Behind The Scenes At The Museum .
Yesterday scooped the .
Costa Novel Award for her latest title, Life After Life .
Win means she has been placed on shortlist for Costa Book Of The Year .
Only poets Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes have won main award twice .
By . Ryan Kisiel . Kate Atkinson is on course to make literary history by becoming the first woman to win the prestigious Costa Book of the Year Award twice . Kate Atkinson is on course to make literary history by becoming the first woman to win the prestigious Costa Book of the Year Award twice. The author, who first won in 1995 with her debut novel Behind The Scenes At The Museum, yesterday scooped the Costa Novel Award for her latest title, Life After Life. The win means she has been placed on the shortlist for Costa Book Of The Year, a £30,000 prize which will be announced at the end of the month. Only poets Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes have won this main award twice, meaning Miss Atkinson, 62, would also be the first novelist to win the prize twice. Award organisers pointed out that if she wins, then women will have taken all the recent major literary awards, the shortlists of which are usually dominated by men. For example, last year New Zealander Eleanor Catton won the Man Booker Prize for The Luminaries. And Lucy Hughes-Hallett, who is favourite to win the Costa award after winning the biography category, was awarded the Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction for The Pike, her account of the life of fascist poet Gabriele D’Annunzio. In 2012 Hilary Mantel won both the Costa and the Man Booker for Bring Up The Bodies, the second book in her trilogy about the court of Henry VIII. Life After Life is Miss Atkinson’s eighth novel and is the story of a young woman called Ursula Todd in wartime Britain. Miss . Atkinson is best-known for the international bestseller Behind The . Scenes At The Museum and her 2004 novel Case Histories, the first of her . detective books featuring character Jackson Brodie, which has been . adapted into a TV series. The author, who first won in 1995 with her debut novel Behind The Scenes At The Museum, yesterday scooped the Costa Novel Award for her latest title, Life After Life . Miss . Atkinson, 62, said: ‘I am absolutely delighted to have won the Costa . Novel Award, and would like to thank the judges for choosing Life After . Life.’ The other category . winners include The Shock Of The Fall, the debut penned by a former . mental health nurse Nathan Filer, 32, who won the first novel award. The book - the story of a teenager’s descent into madness as he confronts his role in the childhood death of his older brother - was snapped up by publisher HarperCollins for a ‘substantial’ six-figure sum. Writer and TV presenter Clive James was on the shortlist to win the poetry prize for his translation of Italian poet Dante, but was beaten to the award by poet Michael Symmons Roberts. Mr Roberts has won the poetry award for the second time, this time with his sixth collection Drysalter. Writer and TV presenter Clive James (left) was on the shortlist to win the poetry prize for his translation of Italian poet Dante, but was beaten to the award by poet Michael Symmons Roberts (right) The children’s book award was won by political cartoonist, author and illustrator Chris Riddell for Goth Girl And The Ghost Of A Mouse. Lucy Hughes-Hallett was named winner of the biography award for The Pike, an account of the life of poet Gabriele D’Annunzio. Last year Hillary Mantel won both the Costa and Booker prize for Bring Up the Bodies, the second novel in a planned trilogy chronicling the life of King Henry VIII’s advisor Thomas Cromwell. The winners of each category receive £5,000 with an overall winner getting a further £30,000 at this month’s ceremony in central London. The Costa, formerly the Whitbread, is open to authors resident in the UK and Ireland.
twice. The author, who first won in 1995 with her debut novel Behind The Scenes At The Museum, yesterday scooped the Costa Novel Award for her latest title, Life After Life. The win means she has been placed on the shortlist for Costa Book Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes have won this main Novel Award for her latest title, Life After Life