British author Andrew Miller has won the Costa Book of the Year for 2012 for his novel Pure, a fictional story set just before the French Revolution. Europa Editions will publish the book in June.
Miller topped four other authors for the win, including Matthew Hollis (who was nominated for his biography of poet Edward Thomas).
Miller will receive a prize of 30,000 pounds, about $46,760. Miller told reporters at the event that he planned to use the money to live off of. The Telegraph UK had this quote: “‘It’s not as if writers tend to be particularly wealthy people. I certainly have no private income. What money we raise through events like this we pay the mortgage I’m afraid, we live off it.'”