Front Row - Costa Book Awards, Keith Coventry

With Mark Lawson. The shortlisted authors for the 2010 Costa Book Awards are announced. Critics Peter Kemp and Alex Clark comment on the authors chosen in five categories: novel, first novel, poetry, biography and children's fiction. Novelist and critic Naomi Alderman reviews two animated films for adults currently screening at cinemas across Britain: Chico and Rita is inspired by Cuban jazz and follows the relationship between a singer and a pianist journeying from Havana to Hollywood. Mary and Max charts the friendship between a lonely eight year old girl from Melbourne and a forty-four year old New Yorker who become pen pals. Artist Keith Coventry, winner of this year's John Moores Painting Prize, describes the paintings in his studio. And an interview with one of the contenders for this year's BBC National Short Story Award - writer Jon McGregor. Producer: Gavin Heard.