The long-running Whitbread Book Awards has been rebranded as the Costa Book Awards.

Costa, which is part of the Whitbread leisure group empire, is one of the biggest players in the UK’s branded coffee-bar market, along with Starbucks and Caffè Nero.

Both Costa and the book awards are celebrating their 35th anniversary this year.

John Derkach, managing director, Costa, said: “This is the perfect match for the Costa brand as there is a very natural association between books and reading and the UK’s growing coffee culture.”

Created in 1971, the awards were set up to celebrate the most enjoyable books of the year by writers based in the UK or Ireland.

Despite the rebranding the format will remain as before, with five categories: First Novel; Biography; Novel; Children’s Book and Poetry. The awards will take place in January 2007 at a central London location.

By Chris Druce

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