Baillie Gifford Prize – Blavatnik Family Foundation

Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction announces judges for 2023

Posted on May 23, 2023 (May 25, 2023) by Christine Ongsueng

Today, 23 May 2023, The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction announces the full judging panel for the 2023 award. Chair of Judges, Frederick Studemann, Literary Editor of Financial Times, will be joined by award-winning author Andrea Wulf; theatre critic for The Guardian, Arifa Akbar; writer and historian, Ruth Scurr; journalist and critic, Tanjil Rashid; and Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Arts, Andrew Haldane. The submissions for this year’s prize are now open. Publishers have until June 17 to enter up to three non-fiction books per imprint with publication dates between 1 November 2022 and 31 October 2023. The 2023 awards event, which will take place at the Science Museum in London, is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. […]

Read Smart Podcast: James Shapiro – The Winner of Winners

Posted on May 11, 2023 (May 12, 2023) by Christine Ongsueng

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast is dedicated to the Winner of Winners, James Shapiro, who won the 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. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. […]

The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction Winner of Winners Is…

Posted on April 27, 2023 (April 28, 2023) by Christine Ongsueng

Congratulations to James Shapiro, who won the #BGPrize25 #WinnerofWinners with 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare! The book examines the life and times of The Bard, as well as asks the question: how did Shakespeare become one of the greatest writers who ever lived? The winner was announced by Chair of Judges, Jason Cowley, at a ceremony hosted at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh on 27 April. In the run-up to the winner announcement, special editions of the Read Smart Podcast were produced through the generous support of the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The six shortlisted authors answered questions and delved deeper into their books. […]

Read Smart Podcast: Winner of Winners Shortlist – Patrick Radden Keefe

Posted on April 26, 2023 (May 2, 2023) by Christine Ongsueng

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. Listen now to hear all about it. 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. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. […]

Read Smart Podcast: Winner of Winners Shortlist – Margaret MacMillan

Posted on April 20, 2023 (May 2, 2023) by Christine Ongsueng

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 II. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The winner of the award will be announced on Thursday 27 April at an event held at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. […]

Read Smart Podcast: The Winner of Winners Shortlist – Wade Davis

Posted on April 14, 2023 (May 2, 2023) by Christine Ongsueng

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast features host, Razia Iqbal, speaking to Wade Davis, the 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. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The winner of the award will be announced on Thursday 27 April at an event held at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. […]

Read Smart Podcast: Winner of Winners Shortlist – James Shapiro

Posted on April 6, 2023 (May 2, 2023) by Christine Ongsueng

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast continues the Winner of Winners series, where each of the shortlisted authors is interviewed. This week, host Razia Iqbal will speak 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 rumors that Shakespeare was in fact more than one person are false. Hear more to discover how and why Shakespeare became one of the greatest writers ever. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. […]

Read Smart Podcast: The Winner of Winners Shortlist – Craig Brown

Posted on March 31, 2023 (March 31, 2023) by Christine Ongsueng

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. One Two Three Four is a kaleidoscopic and unique exploration of the timeless band. In the episode, 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.
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The Read Smart Podcast: Winner of Winners Shortlist – Barbara Demick

Posted on March 23, 2023 (March 24, 2023) by Christine Ongsueng

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast kicks off the first of the 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. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation […]

Read Smart Podcast: The Winner of Winners Shortlist

Posted on March 13, 2023 (March 14, 2023) by Christine Ongsueng

On March 9th, the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction announced the shortlist for its 25th anniversary Winner of Winners award. All the books in the shortlist have won the Prize in the past but only one book will be named a Winner of Winners. The Winner of Winners will be announced at an event at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh on April 27th. 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. This podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. […]