Sarah, who graduated from Anglia Ruskin with a First Class BA (Hons) English degree in 2001, is on the four-person shortlist for the 2016 Costa Novel Award. Her book The Essex Serpent is up against works by Rose Tremain (The Gustav Sonata), Sebastian Barry (Days Without End) and Maggie O’Farrell (This Must Be the Place).
Meanwhile, Guinevere Glasfurd has made the shortlist for the 2016 Costa First Novel Award for her book The Words in My Hand. Guinevere, who graduated from Anglia Ruskin in 2011 with a distinction from the MA in Creative Writing, is shortlisted alongside Susan Beale (The Good Guy), Kit de Waal (My Name is Leon) and Francis Spufford (Golden Hill).
Guinevere, who lives in Waterbeach, near Cambridge, said: “The MA represented the first step in taking my writing seriously. The skills I learned and feedback I received were invaluable.
“I am thrilled and delighted to have my novel recognised in this way. The Costa Prize brings new writers and books to the attention of readers. Even if my book goes no further, being shortlisted feels like prize enough!”
Dr Nina Lubbren, Deputy Head of the Department of English and Media, said: “We’re very proud of both Guinevere and Sarah. To be shortlisted for such an illustrious literary prize is a wonderful achievement.”
The Costa Book Awards are open to authors living in the UK and Ireland, and the results will be announced in January. The winners of each of the five categories will receive £5,000, with the overall winner awarded an additional £30,000 prize.
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