Late poet Helen Dunmore’s collection wins Costa book prize

A poetry collection by the late British writer Helen Dunmore has won the lucrative Costa book prize .

“Inside the Wave” was published two months before the poet and novelist died of cancer last year at age 64 and reflects on the intertwined worlds of life and death.

Author Wendy Holden, who chaired the judging panel, on Tuesday called the collection “life affirming and uplifting.”

Open to writers based in Britain and Ireland, the Costa prizes are awarded in five categories, with one chosen as the overall book of the year.

Dunmore’s poems beat four other finalists for the 30,000-pound ($42,000) prize: Gail Honeyman’s debut novel “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine”; Rebecca Stott’s memoir “In the Days of Rain”; John McGregor’s novel “Reservoir 13” and children’s book “The Explorer” by Katherine Rundell.