Baillie Gifford Prize

Tune into the final Read Smart podcast of the year, where Georgina Godwin speaks to the Baillie Gifford Prize 2024 winner, Richard Flanagan. Hear more from Richard about his origins as an author, alongside how the events from both history and his personal life inspired the ‘chain reactions' explored throughout Question 7. Listen now to hear all about it. This podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. To keep up with all of our Prize news all year round, follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube.

Tune into our final 'In Conversation' podcast, where we chat to Việt Thanh Nguyễn, who has been shortlisted for his book, A Man of Two Faces, which masterfully intertwines personal and historical narratives with humour and lyricism. Nguyễn's work reflects on memory, the duality of identity, and the American experience. Listen now to hear all about it. This podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. To keep up with all of our Prize news all year round, follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

Join us for the next episode of The Read Smart podcast, as we welcome David Van Reybrouck, acclaimed author of Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World. Revolusi, a bestseller in the Netherlands and now shortlisted for The Baillie Gifford Prize, offers a gripping narrative of Indonesia's fight for independence and its impact on global decolonisation. Discover the untold stories of a revolution that reshaped the 20th century. Listen now to hear all about it. This podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. To keep up with all of our Prize news year round, follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube.

Tune into our next 'In Conversation' podcast, where we chat to Richard Flanagan, who has been shortlisted for his brilliant book, Question 7. From the affair between H.G. Wells and Rebecca West to developments in 1930s nuclear physics, Flanagan has crafted a poignant love song to his island home, his parents, and the haunting echoes of the past in this book. Through a hypnotic blend of dream, history, science, and memory, he reveals how our lives are often shaped by the stories of others and the narratives we create about ourselves. Listen now to hear all about it. This podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. To keep up with all of our Prize news all year round, follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

Tune into our next 'In Conversation' podcast, where we chat to Annie Jacobsen, who has been shortlisted for the prize this year with Nuclear War: A Scenario. Jacobsen's book explores the chilling minute-by-minute protocols that would unfold if a rogue state launched a nuclear missile at the United States and is a gripping exploration of nuclear conflict, sparking crucial discussions on global security. Drawing from dozens of new interviews with military and civilian experts who have designed the weapons, been involved in response planning, and shouldered the responsibility for critical decisions, this is the definitive account of what a nuclear exchange would entail. Listen now to hear all about it. This podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. To keep up with all of our Prize news year-round, follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube.

Tune into our next 'In Conversation' podcast, where we chat to Dr Rachel Clarke about her shortlisted book, The Story of a Heart, which intertwines the poignant tales of two children connected by a heart transplant. Hear Dr Clarke discuss the dedication of healthcare professionals and incredible medical advancements that make miracles like these possible, and why she believes conversations around organ donation are so important. Listen now to hear all about it. This podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. To keep up with all of our Prize news year round, follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube.

Tune in to the first of our 'In Conversation' podcast episodes, where we speak to all six of this year's shortlisted authors about their extraordinary works of non-fiction. First up, Georgina Godwin speaks to Sue Prideaux, author of 'Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gauguin'. Prideaux's award-winning works have captivated readers worldwide. From her James Tait Black Memorial Prize-winning biography of Edvard Munch to her Duff Cooper Prize-winning book on Strindberg, and her celebrated Nietzsche biography, 'I Am Dynamite!', which received the Hawthornden Prize and The Times Biography of the Year in 2018. In her latest work, 'Wild Thing', Prideaux brings to life the vibrant and tumultuous journey of Paul Gauguin. From his privileged start in Peru to his rebellious adventures in France, she offers a nuanced view of Gauguin, celebrating his creative genius while not shying away from his flaws. Listen now to hear all about it. This podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. To keep up with all of our Prize news all year round, follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

Tune into the latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast, where host Georgina Godwin is joined by Heather Brooke, a member of this year's judging panel, to discuss the 2024 shortlist. Why did these six books stand out from the rest of the longlist? Listen now to hear all about it. The 2024 shortlist: - The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clarke - Question 7 by Richard Flanagan - Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen - A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial by Viet Thanh Nguyen - Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gauguin by Sue Prideaux - Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World by David Van Reybrouck (translated by David Colmer and David McKay The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Be sure to follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. If you're interested in learning more about the books on the shortlist, then join us on the podcast in the run up to the winner announcement. We will be speaking to each of the shortlisted authors about their work and what inspired them to write on their chosen topics. Also be sure to join us on our social media channels where you we'll be sharing other author interviews, including readings by the writers themselves. The winner will be announced on Tuesday 19 November at an award ceremony generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction social channels.

Tune into the latest episode of the Read Smart podcast, where two of our judges – Peter Hoskin and Chitra Ramaswamy – explore the 2024 longlist with our host, Georgina Godwin. Spanning the subjects of displacement, colonialism and nuclear war, this year's longlist unapologetically holds up a mirror to our contemporary world. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. The announcement of the six books shortlisted for this year's prize will take place on Thursday 10 October in a live event at Cheltenham Literature Festival. The winner will be announced on Tuesday 19 November at an award ceremony generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation.

Tune in to the next episode of The Read Smart Podcast, where Georgina Godwin speaks to Christina Lamb and Catrina Davies about the complex and delicate matter of exploring mental health and private contemplation on the public literary stage. Listen now to hear all about it. This podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. To keep up with the Prize news all year round, follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

Tune in to the next episode of the Read Smart Podcast, where 2022 Baillie Gifford Prize judge, Georgina Godwin, speaks to 2023 winner John Vaillant, social geographer Danny Dorling and writer and award-winning journalist Jennifer Nadel about the crucial topics which are often overlooked by mainstream media. Which topic do you think is neglected most - and why? Listen now to hear all about it. This podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. To keep up with all of our Prize news all year round, follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

Join us for the latest episode of The Read Smart podcast, where host Razia Iqbal speaks to Isabel Hilton, 2024 Chair of Judges and founder of China Dialogue and Tania Branigan, The Guardian's foreign leader writer. Together, Razia and our guests discuss the complex cultural legacy of China, alongside the opportunities and challenges the country has encountered and continues to face. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

Join us for the next episode of The Read Smart podcast, where host Razia Iqbal joins writer, historian and former Baillie Gifford Prize judge, Ruth Scurr and Allan Jenkins, editor of Observer Food Monthly to discuss the cultural, historical and personal significance of gardens within the non-fiction landscape. Our guests explore how the action of gardening can imitate life, whilst providing a source of private solace and personal transformation. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

Tune into the first Read Smart episode of 2024 - and what a year it's set to be. With more than two billion voters in 50 countries heading to the polls, 2024 is set to be the biggest election year in history. Join host Razia Iqbal, as she delves into the topic with author and journalist, Samanth Subramanian and Associate Editor of The Financial Times, Stephen Bush. Find out our guests' predictions for this crucial upcoming year, alongside what they think the current health of democracy is looking like in the current political climate. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

Tune into the final Read Smart episode of the year, where host Razia Iqbal will be speaking to the 2023 winner John Vaillant, author of Fire Weather, on how he feels following last Thursday's announcement. Razia will also be joined by some students from the University of Birmingham, who have been following the Prize this term and share their thoughts on the world of non-fiction. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

Tune into the latest episode of the Read Smart podcast, which is dedicated to Jennifer Homans and her #BGPrize2023 shortlisted work, Mr B: George Balanchine's 20th Century. Recognised as the first major biography of the legendary choreographer and based on more than one hundred interviews, Jennifer's work takes readers through the tumultuous life of the man who has been hailed by The New York Times as being the “Shakespeare of dancing.” Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. The winner will be announced on Thursday 16 November at an award ceremony at the Science Museum, generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction social channels.

Tune into this special shortlist edition of the Read Smart podcast, where Toby Mundy speaks to #BGPrize2023 shortlisted author Tania Branigan about her book, Red Memory: Living, Remembering and Forgetting China's Cultural Revolution. Branigan's book explores and uncovers forty years of rarely heard stories surrounding this Cultural Revolution, begging the question: what happens to the present when the past is repressed and buried? Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. The winner will be announced on Thursday 16 November at an award ceremony at the Science Museum, generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction social channels.

Tune into this special shortlist edition of the Read Smart podcast, where Razia Iqbal speaks to #BGPrize2023 shortlisted author, Hannah Barnes about Time To Think: The Inside Story of the Collapse of the Tavistock's Gender Service for Children. Through unprecedented access to thousands of pages of documents, internal emails, unpublished reports and personal testimony from former GIDS clinicians, Hannah's book investigates the controversial story behind the NHS's flagship gender service for children. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. The winner will be announced on Thursday 16 November at an award ceremony at the Science Museum, generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction social channels.

Tune into this episode of The Read Smart podcast, where host Toby Mundy speaks to 2023 shortlisted author Christopher Clark. Christopher's book, Revolutionary Spring: Fighting for New World 1848-1849, details this extraordinary year in European history, where demonstrators rebelled against societal structures, governments and armies lost control and revolutionary sparks flew across all of Europe's cities. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. The winner will be announced on Thursday 16 November at an award ceremony at the Science Museum, generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction social channels.

Tune into the latest episode of the Read Smart podcast, where Toby Mundy will be speaking to another one of this year's shortlisted authors, John Vaillant. John's work Fire Weather explores the apocalyptic wildfire that took place in Fort McMurray in 2016, as well as the past and future of our increasingly flammable world. The shortlisted book delves into the intertwining histories of the oil industry and climate science, alongside the urgent reality that our planet currently faces. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. The winner will be announced on Thursday 16 November at an award ceremony at the Science Museum, generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction social channels.

Tune into the first of our Read Smart special shortlist episodes, where we will be chatting to all six of this year's shortlisted authors in the run up to the winner announcement. First up, Prize Director Toby Mundy speaks to Jeremy Eichler, author of Time's Echo: The Second World War, the Holocaust and the Music of Remembrance about how music bears witness to history and carries forward the memory of the past. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. The winner will be announced on Thursday 16 November at an award ceremony at the Science Museum, generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction social channels.

Tune into the special shortlist episode of the Read Smart podcast, which features the Baillie Gifford Prize live event from Cheltenham Literature Festival last Sunday. Hear Chair of Judges Frederick Studemann speak to last year's winner, Katherine Rundell, about her fascination for the electric life and work of poet John Donne, alongside the moment the six books on this year's shortlist were revealed. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. The winner will be announced on Thursday 16 November at an award ceremony at the Science Museum, generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction social channels.

Tune into the latest episode of the Read Smart podcast, where two of our judges – Arifa Akbar and Ruth Scurr – will be delving into the 2023 longlist with our host, Razia Iqbal. Spanning the complex themes of war, memory, revolution and science, this year's longlist illuminates a myriad of historical topics, bringing to life forgotten stories that address the most urgent concerns for our future. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. The announcement of the six books shortlisted for this year's prize will take place on Sunday 8 October in a live event at Cheltenham Literature Festival. The winner will be announced on Thursday 16 November at an award ceremony at the Science Museum, generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction social channels.

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast is dedicated to our Winner of Winners, James Shapiro, who won our 25th anniversary award two weeks ago today with 1599: A Year In the Life of William Shakespeare. Listen to Shapiro and Iqbal discuss the literary canon, the cultural significance of Shakespeare's plays and the Bard's influence on contemporary politics. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. If you'd like to hear more from James Shapiro, be sure to buy tickets for this event at Hay Festival on Wednesday 31 May to hear him in conversation with #BGPrize25 judge, Sarah Churchwell. Buy your tickets here: https://www.hayfestival.com/p-20481-james-shapiro-talks-to-sarah-churchwell.aspx?fbclid=IwAR08xm9H9X7iIgZ1HUYr-IvasUS1u_azUMEjYW7mTigPmwQqCDf3iEjueYk

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast features Prize Director Toby Mundy speaking to Patrick Radden Keefe, who won the prize in 2021 with Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty. Radden Keefe and Mundy together explore the dark and murky methods of the Sackler family, as well as the consequences of the crisis that are still seen in America today. Detailing the story of 21st century greed, the book explores the family's creation and marketing of Oxycontin, a painkiller that was a catalyst for the opioid crisis that nearly killed half a million people. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. The winner of the award will be announced on Thursday 27 April at an event held at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast features Razia Iqbal speaking to Margaret MacMillan, author of Paris 1919, formerly titled Peacemakers, about how the book casts a new light on the negotiations that influenced the modern world. As the first woman to ever win the Baillie Gifford Prize in 2002, MacMillan explores the fascinating figures behind the peace process and what could have been done differently to avert World War Two. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. If you've found hearing about the six books interesting, be sure to come along to Cambridge Literary Festival at 6pm on 23rd April to hear three of our shortlisted #WinnerofWinners authors - Barbara Demick, Craig Brown and Patrick Radden Keefe – delve into their previously winning books and how they are feeling about making the shortlist. Click this link to buy tickets to the Cambridge Event: https://www.cambridgeliteraryfestival.com/events/baillie-gifford-prize-winner-of-winners/ The winner of the award will be announced on Thursday 27 April at an event held at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast features host Razia Iqbal speaking to Wade Davis, 2012 winner of The Baillie Gifford Prize, about Into The Silence, a book delving into the psychological aftermath of the First World War and mountaineer George Mallory's fatal expedition to Mount Everest. The Guardian has praised Davis' work, highlighting how the “tried and tested narrative routes are guaranteed to keep the reader roped closely to the page.” Davis and Iqbal discuss not only the character of Mallory, but crucially why he kept climbing on that fateful day. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast continues our Winner of Winners series, where each of the shortlisted authors are interviewed. This week, host Razia Iqbal will be speaking to James Shapiro, who won the prize in 2006 with 1599: A Year In The Life of William Shakespeare. Iqbal and Shapiro explore life in Elizabethan England, how Shakespeare managed to produce four great works (including Hamlet) in just one year and why the rumours that Shakespeare was in fact more than one person are false. Hear more to find out how and why Shakespeare become one of the greatest writers who ever lived. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. If you've found hearing about the six novels interesting, be sure to come along to Cambridge Literary Festival at 6pm on 23rd April to hear three of our shortlisted #WinnerofWinners authors - Barbara Demick, Craig Brown and Patrick Radden Keefe – delve into their previously winning books and how they are feeling about making the shortlist. Click this link to buy tickets to the Cambridge Event: https://www.cambridgeliteraryfestival.com/events/baillie-gifford-prize-winner-of-winners/ The winner of the award will be announced on Thursday 27 April at an event held at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast features host Razia Iqbal speaking to Craig Brown about his book One, Two, Three, Four: The Beatles in Time, which won the Baillie Gifford Prize in 2020. Brown's book has been described by The Guardian as “not a biography so much as a group portrait in vignettes, a rearrangement of stories and legends whose trick is to make The Beatles gleam anew.” One Two Three Four is a kaleidoscopic and unique exploration of the timeless band. In the podcast, the originality of the book is explored, alongside how Brown feels ahead of the winner announcement. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. Craig Brown will be appearing live at 6pm on 23rd April at Cambridge Literary Festival alongside two other shortlisted #WinnerofWinners authors - Barbara Demick and Patrick Radden Keefe. Click this link to buy tickets to the Cambridge Event: https://www.cambridgeliteraryfestival.com/events/baillie-gifford-prize-winner-of-winners/ The winner of the award will be announced on Thursday 27 April at an event held at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast kicks off the first of our special Winners of Winners episodes, in which each of the shortlisted authors will be interviewed. This week, host Razia Iqbal will be speaking to Barbara Demick, who won the Prize in 2010 with Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea. In the book, Demick weaves together the stories of resilience between six residents of Chongin, North Korea's third-largest city. From extensive interviews and investigative work, Barbara Demick recreates the culture and concerns of North Korean citizens within this extraordinarily secret country. The winner of the award will be announced on Thursday 27 April at an event held at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

On 9th March, the Baillie Gifford Prize announced the shortlist for its 25th anniversary Winner of Winners award, which will go to the book the judges think is the best of the previous winners of the Prize. Listen in as host Razia Iqbal talks to judges Jason Cowley and Sarah Churchwell about which books they chose, and what the process has been like so far. If this episode has piqued your interest, tune in over the next few months, when Razia will be talking to each of the shortlisted authors about how it feels to be selected for such a prestigious award, and how winning the Prize in the first place has changed their lives. The Winner of Winners will be announced at an event at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh on the 27th April. This podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, visit our website. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

Listen to the latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast to discover more about the Prize's history, and how the wider world of non-fiction has changed in the 25 years since it was first established. In this episode, former Baillie Gifford judge Razia Iqbal talks to Caroline Sanderson and Andrew Holgate, both of whom have chaired judging panels for the Prize, about what the experience is like and how the Prize has evolved. For those of you who enjoyed learning about the history of the Prize, we've made a 30 minute documentary featuring interviews with some of the founders of the prize, as well as the winners and judges of recent years. Tune in next time where we'll be talking to some of the judges of the Winner of Winners award about their shortlist. The Winner of Winners award, created to celebrate the Prize's 25th anniversary, will pit the previous winners against each other to find the best of the best of non-fiction. The shortlist will be announced on Thursday 9 March, and the winner will be announced at an event at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh on the 27th April. This podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

Make sure you tune into the latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast, which explores what life is like in dictatorships across the world and throughout history. Our host Razia Iqbal will be joined by three former winners of the prize; Historian Michael Burleigh, journalist Barbara Demick and historian Frank Dikötter. They delve into the fascinatingly complex definitions and qualities behind the term ‘dictator', as well as the role that secrecy and terror plays in countries living under authoritarian rule. As we continue to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Baillie Gifford Prize, keep an eye out for more special episodes of The Read Smart podcast, where faces from the prize's past will be returning to give their insight on more fascinating topics. We will also be sharing special episodes dedicated to the authors shortlisted for our Winner of Winners competition, which is being judged by Chair Jason Cowley, Shahidha Bari, Sarah Churchwell and Frances Wilson. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

Tune into the final Read Smart podcast episode of the year, where 2022 prize winner Katherine Rundell discusses her book Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne and how she feels following the announcement. Our host Razia Iqbal also speaks to some of the other guests at the awards ceremony, including former judge Sara Collins, last year's chair of judges Andrew Holgate and Margaret Busby. The winner was livestreamed on FacebookLive and YouTube at a  gala dinner generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation on Thursday 17 November. Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne gives readers a glimpse into the tempestuous life of poet John Donne. Sometime religious outsider and social disaster, sometime celebrity preacher and establishment darling, John Donne was incapable of being just one thing. Described by Rundell as being perhaps the greatest love poet in the history of the English language, the work provides a fascinating insight into Donne's multi-layered existence.    Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne was chosen by this year's judging panel: writer and Associate Editor of The Bookseller, Caroline Sanderson (chair); writer and science journalist, Laura Spinney; critic and writer for The Observer, Rachel Cooke; BBC journalist and presenter, Clive Myrie; author and New Yorker writer, Samanth Subramanian; and critic and broadcaster, Georgina Godwin. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

Join Toby Mundy, director of the Baillie Gifford Prize and Caroline Elkins, author of the shortlisted book ‘Legacy of Violence', for their discussion on how the British Empire used liberal rhetoric to justify repeated violence against its colonies. Listen in to Read Smart to hear all about how Caroline and a team of researchers uncovered this hidden history, and how the Empire's legalised violence in order to retain control. To learn more about the shortlist, join Toby as he talks to each of the shortlisted authors about their work and what it's like to make the shortlist. Also join us on our social media channels where you we'll be sharing trailers for each of the shortlist, including readings by the authors and appearances from some familiar faces explaining why they love these books. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. This year's winner will be announced on 17 November at the Science Museum at a gala dinner generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize social channels. Don't miss the winner of the 2022 prize being interviewed at the Cambridge Literary Festival on Sunday 20 November this year. Follow @BGPrize and #BGPrize2022 on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube to stay up to date.

Discover the Baillie Gifford Prize shortlist Toby Mundy, the prize's director and Jonathan Freedland, author of ‘The Escape Artist', which tells the story of Rudolph Vrba, who escaped Auschwitz to warn the world about the horrors of the Holocaust, saving thousands of lives. Tune in to hear what drew Jonathan to Vrba's story in the first place, and why it's important we allow survivors to be flawed. If you want to know more about the books on the shortlist, then join the Baillie Gifford Prize's director, Toby Mundy on the podcast over the next few weeks. Toby will be talking to each of the shortlisted authors about their work and what it's like to make the shortlist. You can join us on our social media channels where we'll be sharing trailers for each of the shortlist, including author readings and appearances from some familiar faces. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. This year's winner will be announced on 17 November at the Science Museum at a gala dinner generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize social channels. Don't miss the winner of the 2022 prize being interviewed at the Cambridge Literary Festival on Sunday 20 November this year. Follow @BGPrize and #BGPrize2022 on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube to stay up to date.

Find out more about the Baillie Gifford Prize shortlist with director of the prize Toby Mundy and Polly Morland, author of ‘A Fortunate Woman', who talks about the importance of the doctor/patient relationship and how she reinterpreted John Berger's medical classic A Fortunate Man. Tune in to hear how Polly was first inspired to write the book, and how the pandemic affected her research. Over the next couple of weeks on Read Smart, Toby will be talking to each of the shortlisted authors about their books and how they feel to have made the shortlist. Also join us on our social media channels where you we'll be sharing trailers for each of the shortlist, including readings by the authors and appearances from some familiar faces explaining why they love these books. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. This year's winner will be announced on 17 November at the Science Museum at a gala dinner generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize social channels. Don't miss the winner of the 2022 prize being interviewed at the Cambridge Literary Festival on Sunday 20 November this year. Follow @BGPrize and #BGPrize2022 on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube to stay up to date.

Explore the Baillie Gifford Prize 2022 shortlist on Read Smart, as prize director Toby Mundy talks to Sally Hayden about her book ‘My Fourth Time, We Drowned', and the role Europe plays in perpetuating the migrant crisis. Listen now to hear how migrants are ending up in refugee camps in Libya, and the importance of using the correct language when describing their plight. If you're interested in learning more about the books on the shortlist, then join the Baillie Gifford Prize's director, Toby Mundy on the podcast over the next few weeks. Toby will be talking to each of the shortlisted authors about their work and what it's like to make the shortlist. Also join us on our social media channels where you we'll be sharing trailers for each of the shortlist, including readings by the authors and appearances from some familiar faces explaining why they love these books. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. This year's winner will be announced on 17 November at the Science Museum at a gala dinner generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize social channels. Don't miss the winner of the 2022 prize being interviewed at the Cambridge Literary Festival on Sunday 20 November this year. Follow @BGPrize and #BGPrize2022 on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube to stay up to date.

Dive into the Baillie Gifford Prize shortlist with director of the prize Toby Mundy and Anna Keay, author of ‘The Restless Republic', who talks about providing new perspectives on the English civil war and its aftermath. Listen now to hear all about the colourful cast of characters that populate the book, and why it's so difficult to understand the mindset of the time. If you're interested in learning more about the books on the shortlist, then join the Baillie Gifford Prize's director, Toby Mundy on the podcast over the next few weeks. Toby will be talking to each of the shortlisted authors about their work and what it's like to make the shortlist. Also join us on our social media channels where you we'll be sharing trailers for each of the shortlist, including readings by the authors and appearances from some familiar faces explaining why they love these books. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. This year's winner will be announced on 17 November at the Science Museum at a gala dinner generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize social channels. Don't miss the winner of the 2022 prize being interviewed at the Cambridge Literary Festival on Sunday 20 November this year. Follow @BGPrize and #BGPrize2022 on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube to stay up to date.

Tune into the latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast, where our host and director of the Baillie Gifford Prize Toby Mundy, will be joined by Katherine Rundell, author of ‘Super Infinite' to discuss why you should read about the extraordinary and tempestuous life of John Donne. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. If you're interested in learning more about the books on the shortlist, then join the Baillie Gifford Prize's director, Toby Mundy on the podcast over the next few weeks. Toby will be talking to each of the shortlisted authors about their work and what it's like to make the shortlist. Also join us on our social media channels where you we'll be sharing trailers for each of the shortlist, including readings by the authors and appearances from some familiar faces explaining why they love these books. This year's winner will be announced on 17 November at the Science Museum at an award ceremony generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize social channels. Don't miss the winner of the 2022 prize being interviewed at the Cambridge Literary Festival on Sunday 20 November this year.

Tune into the latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast, where our host Razia Iqbal will be joined by two members of our judging panel, Rachel Cooke and Georgina Godwin, to discuss the six books which have made the 2022 shortlist. The judges will give their reasons for why these six books stood out from the rest of the longlist, alongside how they chose to go about making such a difficult decision. The podcast also features the moment where Chair of Judges, Caroline Sanderson, announced the long-awaited shortlist live at Cheltenham Literature Festival. Not long to go now until we find out the winner. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. If you're interested in learning more about the books on the shortlist, then join the Baillie Gifford Prize's director, Toby Mundy on the podcast over the next few weeks. Toby will be talking to each of the shortlisted authors about their work and what it's like to make the shortlist. Also join us on our social media channels where you we'll be sharing trailers for each of the shortlist, including readings by the authors and appearances from some familiar faces explaining why they love these books. This year's winner will be announced on 17 November at the Science Museum at an award ceremony generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize social channels. Don't miss the winner of the 2022 prize being interviewed at the Cambridge Literary Festival on Sunday 20 November this year.

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast, is dedicated entirely to our much anticipated longlist. Host Razia Iqbal is joined by three members of our judging panel, Caroline Sanderson, Laura Spinney and Samanth Subramanian, to discuss all twelve longlisted books and why these have been chosen to be in the running for this year's prize. Listen now to hear all about the longlist. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. To find out more about The Baillie Gifford Prize, visit www.thebailliegiffordprize.com Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok. The announcement of the six books shortlisted for this year's prize will take place on 10 October during an event at Cheltenham Literature Festival. The winner will be announced on 17 November at the Science Museum at an award ceremony generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize social channels. #BGPrize2022 #longlist #nonfiction #booktube #booktok #reading #books #awards #literature #author #writer #bgprize #podcast #readsmart

On 5th September, the Conservative Party will announce the next leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party and the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.  Ahead of this, tune into the latest episode of the Read Smart podcast, where Razia Iqbal, is joined by Sonia Purnell, who has written biographies on Boris Johnson and Clementine Churchill, alongside John Rentoul, Chief Political Commentator for The Independent and author of a number of books on Tony Blair and New Labour. Razia and our guests explore the importance of the political biography, delving into the difficulties of separating the author's beliefs from that of their subject, and how the ascent of the celebrity politician has affected the genre.   Listen now to hear more about the fascinating world of non-fiction. This podcast is generously supported by The Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. Read Smart Podcast is commissioned by The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction and is  generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation.    Listen to the podcast now on iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud  Entale and YouTube. The longlist of the 2022 Baillie Gifford Prize will be announced on 13 September, the shortlist on 10 October and the winner on 17 November this year. #BGPrize #ReadSmart #politics #politicalbiography #RishiSunak #LizTruss #Conservatives #PrimeMinister #election

Tune into the latest episode of the Read Smart podcast, ‘George Floyd: Two Years On' where writer and critic Tomiwa Owolade and Olivette Otele PhD, Professor of the Legacies and Memory of Slavery at SOAS, discuss the widespread impact of George Floyd's tragic death on both the cultural landscape and the publishing world. Our guests delve into the role of the Black Lives Matter movement, unconscious bias and which works of non-fiction have personally inspired them. Listen now to hear more. This podcast is generously supported by The Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

Tune into the latest episode of the Read Smart podcast, ‘Money Talks' where our host Shahidha Bari speaks to economist Vicky Pryce and legal scholar Joan C Williams about the turbulent world of economics, where it stands in the non-fictional sphere and the state of our economy today. Our guests explore the reputation economics has as a science, as well as the position of women within this complex structure. Listen now to hear more. This podcast is generously supported by The Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, click here. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

On 24th February, Russia invaded Ukraine. In the weeks since, we've heard horrifying tales of human rights abuses and families forced to flee their homes. Nevertheless, Ukrainian forces have managed to resist the Russian military for now, whilst Western nations have expressed their support, sending relief to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia. In this month's episode of Read Smart, we're joined by Sir Antony Beevor, a multi-award winning historian of war whose book Stalingrad, which recounted the battle between Russian and German forces in Eastern Europe in the Second World War, won the very first Samuel Johnson Prize – the precursor to the Baillie Gifford Prize. His new book, publishing this coming May, is Russia: Revolution and Civil War 1917-1921. Antony is joined by Serhii Plokhii, the professor of Ukrainian history at Harvard University, who won the 2018 Baillie Gifford Prize for Chernobyl: History of a Tragedy. Joining Antony and Serhii, is Polly Jones, the professor of Russian at The University of Oxford, who recently wrote an introduction to Ukrainian author Vassily Grossman's epic novel Life and Fate. This episode is hosted by author and critic Shahidha Bari, and generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Listen now as these three hugely distinguished guests discuss the conflict in Ukraine, the extent to which Putin's current actions are based in historical motivation and how far the conflict marks a historical turning point. The Disasters Emergency Committee and British Red Cross are taking donations for the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal online. If you'd like to support this, please visit redcross.org.uk To find out more about the Baillie Gifford Prize visit thebailliegiffordprize.co.uk, or follow us on socials @BGPrize.

This month, our host Shahidha Bari is joined by food writer Bee Wilson and Tom Tivnan, managing editor of the Bookseller, to delve into the fascinating, complex and endlessly enjoyable genre of food writing. In this episode, Shahidha and our guests discuss the role the pandemic has played in the role of the cook book in our society, the controversial participation of celebrities in the genre and the influence of famous campaigners battling food poverty.

Welcome back for another season of Read Smart - the podcast that explores the world of non-fiction and provides you with some behind-the-scenes insights into the prestigious Baillie Gifford Prize. In this episode Shahidha Bari discusses the biggest trends to watch out for in non-fiction publishing during 2022, with industry experts Matthew Hennessey, Non-Fiction Buyer at Waterstones and Alexis Kirschbaum, Publishing Director at Bloomsbury. Toby Mundy, Director of the Baillie Gifford Prize, is also joined by Reeves Wiedeman, author and features writer at New York Magazine, who has been investigating the recent case of the ‘book thief'. A story of impersonation that has recently come to a light with the arrest of 29 year old Filippo Bernardini by the FBI. Listen now to hear more. This podcast is generously supported by The Blavatnik Family Foundation. For more podcasts from The Baillie Gifford Prize, visit www.thebailliegiffordprize.co.uk and sign up to the newsletter. Follow @BGPrize on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok

Join us this week for the exciting winner episode, where our host Razia Iqbal speaks to the winner of this year's prize, Patrick Radden Keefe about his work ‘Empire of Pain' and how he feels in the days following this life-changing announcement. We're also joined by some of our other incredible shortlisted authors live from the winners ceremony, which was generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation.

In our final shortlist episode of the Read Smart podcast, Harald Jähner, author of ‘Aftermath' speaks to Toby Mundy about the tempestuous decade that followed German reconstruction between 1945-1955. The winner of the 2021 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction will be announced at an event at the Science Museum, generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, on Tuesday 16 November. Read Smart Podcast is commissioned by The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction and is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. #BGPrize2021 #ReadSmart #nonfictionbooks #authors #shortlist

The next Baillie Gifford Prize shortlisted author on the Read Smart Podcast is Patrick Radden Keefe, who talks to Toby Mundy about the infamous legacy of the controversial Sackler Dynasty. The winner of the 2021 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction will be announced at an event at the Science Museum, generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, on Tuesday 16 November. Read Smart Podcast is commissioned by The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction and is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. #BGPrize2021 #ReadSmart #nonfictionbooks #authors #shortlist