H is For Hawk Takes 2014 Costa Book Award

By Dianna Dilworth 

H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald has won the 2014 Costa book prize. The author will take home a £30,000 prize for the memoir, which tells her personal account of training a goshawk in order to deal with the death of her father.

“All of the judges felt passionately about this book and its wonderful, muscular, chiseled prose,” explained Robert Harris, chair of the final judges, in a statement. “This is a clever, accomplished piece of writing that everyone will enjoy. It melds a memoir about grief, a biography of TH White and is a wonderful evocation of nature and training a hawk. It’s unique, unforgettable, haunting and a natural book to win this prize.”

Zoe Gilbert won the 2014 Costa Short Story Award for her story, “Fishskin, Hareskin.” She will take home £3,500 in prize money.