The winner of the 2026 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction will be announced on 4 November at BMA House, during an awards ceremony supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Six titles have been shortlisted from more than 350 eligible books. Bookmaker William Hill has named Patrick Radden Keefe’s London Falling as the favourite, followed by Nicholas Boggs’s Baldwin: A Love Story and Andrea Wulf’s The Traveller. Keefe, who won the prize in 2021 for Empire of Pain, could become the first author to receive the award twice. The announcement will be livestreamed across the prize’s social media channels.
The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University will name the largest performance space in its new home the Blavatnik Theater, in recognition of a major gift from the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The theater will be part of the David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance. The flexible, 700-seat venue will support artistic innovation and creative collaboration, with adaptable staging and seating that enable artists to connect with audiences in new ways. “I am profoundly grateful to Len and Emily for their generosity in support of Harvard and of A.R.T.’s mission to expand the boundaries of theater,” said Diane Paulus, A.R.T.’s Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director. The inaugural production, Life on Mars, will feature the music of David Bowie and be directed by Paulus. The gift builds on the Foundation’s longstanding support for Harvard and its commitment to advancing innovation, education, and the arts.
With Emily Blavatnik as Visionary Chair and Laila Blavatnik among the Gala Chairs, New York City Ballet’s 2026 Fall Fashion Gala brought ballet and fashion together in support of new works for the stage. Held on October 1, 2026 at Lincoln Center, the evening featured three world premieres pairing choreographers with fashion designers. Among them was Resident Choreographer Justin Peck’s Mirror/Sky, with primary support from Emily Blavatnik and the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Featuring costumes by Simone Rocha, the ballet was set to an original score by Gabriel Kahane inspired by Stevie Nicks’s “Landslide.” The program also featured Alysa Pires’s Auspicy, with designs by Viktor&Rolf, and Jennifer Archibald’s Shared Rain, with costumes by Robert Wun. Together, these performances continued the gala’s tradition of fostering collaboration across the arts while supporting the Company’s artistic mission.
Nicholas Boggs, Anand Gopal, Patrick Radden Keefe, Edmund Richardson, Matthew Sweet and Andrea Wulf have been announced as the six authors shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2026. The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction is widely recognised as the world's most prestigious international award for literary non-fiction that is open to books on any subject and to writers of any nationality. Since 1999 it has named the best non-fiction book of the year. The winning author receives £50,000. The shortlist of six books were chosen by this year’s judging panel: Kirsty Lang, broadcaster and arts journalist (chair); head of books at Waterstones, Bea Carvalho; writer and cultural historian Dr Tiffany Jenkins; literary editor of The Spectator, Sam Leith; editor and reporter, Ravi Mattu; and award-winning novelist and storyteller, Elif Shafak. Their selection was made from over 350 eligible books published between 1 November 2025 and 31 October 2026. From the courts of ancient Macedon and the upheaval of the French Revolution to contemporary London and revolutionary Syria, this year's shortlist spans biography, history, investigation and political reportage. The winner will be announced on Wednesday 4 November at an award ceremony at BMA House, generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The announcement will also be livestreamed across the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction social channels.
A feature in The Times of Israel explores how Israeli musician Noga Erez and her partner and collaborator, Ori Rousso, navigated the professional and personal upheaval following the October 7, 2023 attacks and ensuing war. Facing canceled performances, online abuse and cultural boycotts, the pair feared their international career might be over—but chose to keep creating and performing. The Times of Israel Their perseverance brought renewed momentum, with most shows across North America and Europe selling out. A performance at Coachella in April 2026 marked a significant milestone, and the pair are preparing to bring their expanded production to larger venues on their spring 2027 tour. Noga, a documentary supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, with Len Blavatnik serving as an executive producer premiered at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival and explores the intersection of Erez’s music, identity, and personal responsibilities. Through a close look at her creative partnership with Rousso, their relationship and their journey into parenthood, the documentary offers an intimate portrait of the life behind the performances.
A new feature in The Past explores Becoming America: How Science Shaped a Nation, a free exhibition at London’s Science Museum supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation as a major funder. Opening on October 23, 2026, the exhibition examines how science and technology shaped the land, peoples, and emerging identity of the United States during the decisive decades from the 1760s to the 1790s. The feature highlights the knowledge and experiences of Anglo-American colonists, Indigenous nations, and enslaved and free people of African descent, and the ways their distinct scientific practices intersected amid colonization and political change. Examples range from Indigenous navigation and canoe-making and African expertise in rice cultivation to Benjamin Franklin’s mapping of the Gulf Stream and the surveying of the Mason-Dixon Line. It also considers scientific influences on the Declaration of Independence and the role of agriculture and natural history in shaping national identity. Running through April 25, 2027, the exhibition offers free public access to a multifaceted account of how science both shaped—and was changed by—the emergence of the United States.
New York City Ballet’s 2026 Fall Season will bring together landmark works, new commissions and significant revivals across four weeks of performances beginning September 22. The season opens with George Balanchine’s Jewels and continues with repertory by Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Christopher Wheeldon, and Alexei Ratmansky. At the annual Fall Fashion Gala on October 1, the Company will present three world premieres by Jennifer Archibald, Justin Peck, and Alysa Pires, created in collaboration with leading fashion designers. Support from Emily Blavatnik and the Blavatnik Family Foundation is making possible Peck’s new pas de deux, featuring costumes by Simone Rocha and an original score by Gabriel Kahane. The season will also mark the return of Balanchine’s rarely performed Pithoprakta, staged by Suzanne Farrell for its first New York City Ballet performances since 1969. It concludes on October 18 with a farewell performance honoring Principal Dancer Adrian Danchig-Waring after more than 23 years with the Company.
On September 9, 2026, 2,977 lights rose above New York Harbor and assembled into the Twin Towers at full architectural scale. Created ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the public artwork honored each life lost and offered a shared moment of remembrance, reflection and unity. Developed in collaboration with members of the 9/11 family, survivor and first-responder communities, 2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor began as a spiraling helix before forming the towers in the night sky. The installation was conceived in dialogue with the iconic "Tribute in Light" and accompanied by reflective musical works from Philip Glass, John Adams, and Max Richter. The project was produced by Addison Mehr and Sky Elements and made possible entirely through private philanthropy and in-kind contributions. Major support came from the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, 9/11 family members and the Blavatnik Family Foundation, with additional support from Pershing Square Philanthropies. Sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts, the installation was presented as a gift to New York City and to everyone whose life has been affected by September 11.
The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction unveiled its 2026 longlist today, Thursday 3rd September, featuring 13 remarkable books showcasing that all the best stories are true. This year’s longlist brings together vivid biographies and revelatory true stories, including of major literary figure James Baldwin, romance novelist and socialite Barbara Cartland, and eighteenth-century naturalist and explorer George Forster. Readers are also taken from the ancient world through the life of Alexander the Great to the famed Parisian Hôtel Lutetia during its wartime transformation. Other subjects include a range of historical investigations and first-hand accounts that illuminate conflict, power and identity, from Berlin during the Second World War, revolution in Syria and art, survival and resistance in wartime Ukraine, to espionage in Cold War Iran and the geopolitical mystery of Nord Stream. The longlist also explores the high-profile investigation surrounding French film icon Alain Delon, the tragic story of London teenager Zac Brettler, and offers an intimate portrait of Putin's Russia. The winner will be announced on Wednesday 4 November at an award ceremony at BMA House, generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation.
Providing many of the world's best researchers, scientists, and universities with support, and funding to discover breakthroughs that solve humankind's greatest challenges.
The Foundation contributes to renowned institutions that showcase the breadth of arts and culture, including performance, exhibition and education.
The Blavatnik Archive is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to preserving and disseminating materials that contribute to the study of 20th-century Jewish and world history, with a special emphasis on World War I, World War II, and Soviet Russia.
