A L Kennedy has just been announced as the winner of Costa’s Book of the Year award. In my conceited and inconsequential opinion, it’s an award well deserved.

I first encountered her work on my Modern Fiction course at university, where she was also a guest lecturer in the Honours year Creative Writing module. Original Bliss was easily one of the best things on the syllabus, so much so that a friend of mine whom I co-wrote with at the Fringe the year before refused to donate to me the copy he’d leant, but was quite indifferent as to what I did with his borrowed Jack Maggs or White Teeth. I was such a scab back then - always borrowing books on my course list for fear of spending up to £10 on something I loathed. Books are now my greatest vice after cigarettes, booze and boys.

Not just a great author, Kennedy is very encouraging and insightful in her attitude to undergraduate scribblers. I don’t know why I seem to expect authors to suddenly become aloof and pompous once they’re published - perhaps that says more about my own neuroses. But she instantly struck me as very down to earth, and all the more encouraging because of it. I remember thinking that she sounded a little like Eddie Izzard, in that same almost mock-British mumbly voice I subconsciously stole from him, and still use when I get nervous around new people. And I also remember her gleefully remarking that one of her stories featured the first known mention in literature of ejaculation in space. That’s not the sort of thing you can just idly drop into conversation. She likes herbal tea, I remember that too. Raspberry I think it was.

It’s A Good Thing™ when established authors you admire, and actually like, receive the laurels they deserve (as several other articles mention, this one is certainly long overdue). And, for an unestablished author, it’s surely no harm done to have an aspirational roadmap based on such authors’ achievements.

Book of the Year might still be a little bit beyond my current mileage, mind. I hear you have to finish one to even be in with a chance.