Posthumous Costa for poetry full of love for life

LONDON. A collection of poems by Helen Dunmore, who passed away last year, is called the book of the year.

Costa is one of the UK’s most prestigious literary awards. There are five categories: “Poetry”, “Children’s literature”, “Roman”, “Best first novel”, “Biography”. One of the winners is guaranteed an additional and very pleasant bonus: the title of the author of “Book of the Year”. It is not only honorable, but also beneficial. The monetary part of the premium in this case increases five times.

The owners of the main "Costa" over the years have become this year’s Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro, Kate Atkinson, whose debut novel Behind the Scenes at the Museum is the story of the protagonist’s family that survived two world wars, the death of a child, not too happy marriages - ahead of the book Salman Rushdie in the main category.

In 1987, “The Book of the Year” was the autobiography of the Irish writer Christopher Nolan, the namesake of the famous filmmaker, Under the Eye of the Clock. The fate of Nolan is unique. Birth trauma led to complete paralysis and inability to speak. Taking an effective antispastic drug has helped to reduce muscle tension. With the help of a metal arrow attached to a special rim on his forehead, he got the opportunity to print his poems and prose on a typewriter. Nearby was Bernadette’s mother, whose love, optimism and constant support helped to achieve a miracle. Nolan died at 43 in Dublin, at Beaumont Hospital.

Twice another Nobel winner, an Irish poet, writer and translator, Seamus Justin Heaney, became the laureates of the prize. Twice awarded the “Costa” Ted Hughes (Ted Hughes). For the poetic collection Birthday Letters, dedicated to his tragic romance with Sylvia Platt - posthumously.

The award was also posthumous for Helen Dunmore (Helen Dunmore), who died of cancer in June last year. Her poetic collection “Inside the Wave”, completed shortly before leaving life, is full of love for life, comprehension and acceptance of the inevitable. A sample of high literature and a symbolic monument to the remarkable poet.

Helen Dunmore has written ten poetry collections and 12 novels. Two of them are dedicated to Russia, whose history has always caused her keen interest - The Siege ("Blockade") and The Betrayal ("Betrayal"). The prize was awarded at the end of January to the poet’s family - husband Frank, daughter Tess and son Patrick.

Elena Tanakova © Gallerix.ru