Robert Maxwell Biography Among Costa Book Award Winners

A biography of Robert Maxwell, father of convicted sex-trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, has won a Costa Book Award.

The book details the rise, fall, and eventual death, of former politician and notable media businessman Robert Maxwell, and won best biography at the awards.

John Preston’s biography Fall: The Mystery of Robert Maxwell, was described as “epic” and “a unanimous winner” by judges.

After a dramatic start in life fleeing the Nazis as a teenager, Maxwell became a publishing tycoon and an absolute powerhouse in many media and social scenes. It wasn’t until after his death that his shameless dealings and debts were discovered, ruining his reputation.

In November 1991, Maxwell vanished from the deck of his yacht, named after his daughter Ghislaine, his body later found floating in the sea.

With this biography, Preston is one of five winning authors for this year’s Costa Awards. It is a particularly special year for the Costa Book Awards, as they celebrate their 50th anniversary.

The prize is open to authors in the UK and Ireland , awarding books in five categories – first novel, novel, biography, poetry and children’s book.

The other winners are Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson, Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller, The Kids by Hannah Lowe, and The Crossing by Manjeet Mann.

£5,000 goes to each category winner who then compete for the overall winning prize, announced February 1st 2022.