The biography prize in the 2012 Costa Book Awards has been won for the first time by a graphic work. Mary Talbot’s Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes, illustrated by her husband Bryan Talbot, won biography of the year and prize money of £5000.
The book was described by the award’s judges as “beautifully crafted” and crossing “the boundaries between literature and the graphic genre with extraordinary effect”.
Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes combines the tragic story of James Joyce’s daughter Lucia with the author’s own relationship with her father, the respected Joyce scholar James S Atherton.
Illustrator Bryan Talbot is a widely published veteran of the graphic book genre. His previous books have included Alice In Sunderland, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and the Grandville graphic novel series.
In the other Costa categories, Hilary Mantel won the novel award for Bring Up the Bodies; Francesca Segal won first novel for The Innocents; Kathleen Jamie’s The Overhaul took the poetry prize; and children’s book of the year went to Sally Gardner’s Maggot Moon.
Each category winner now competes for the overall Costa book of the year award, to be announced on 29 January.
