Catherine O'Flynn's novel What Was Lost has been awarded the 2007 Costa First Novel Award, and will now compete for the Costa Book of the Year, decided on 22nd January 2008.  Her fellow category winners are:

A.L. Kennedy Day (Best Novel)

Simon Sebag Montefiore Young Stalin (Best Biography)

Jean Sprackland Tilt (Best Poetry Collection)

Ann Kelley The Bower Bird (Best Children's Book)

The judges described What Was Lost as 'a formidable novel blending humour and pathos in a cleverly constructed and absorbing mystery.  An extraordinary book and a superb first novel.'