The Whitbread Awards (since 2006 called the Costa Book Awards) are among the United Kingdom's most prestigious literary awards. They were launched in 1971, are given both for high literary merit but also for works that are enjoyable reading and whose aim is to convey the enjoyment of reading to the widest possible audience. This page gives details of the awards given in the year 1993.

Book of the Year

Joan Brady, Theory of War

Children's Book

Winner:

• Anne Fine, Flour Babies

First Novel

Winner:

• Rachel Cusk, Saving Agnes

Novel

Winner:

• Joan Brady, Theory of War

Biography

Winners:

• Andrew Motion, Philip Larkin: A Writer’s Life

Poetry

Winners:

• Carol Ann Duffy, Mean Time