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. Read the full announcement here.
The Baillie Gifford Prize Announced the 2026 Longlist
Learn More
Discover the cutting-edge science we fund
Providing many of the world's best researchers, scientists, and universities with support, and funding to discover breakthroughs that solve humankind's greatest challenges.
See how we support great cultural institutions around the world
The Foundation contributes to renowned institutions that showcase the breadth of arts and culture, including performance, exhibition and education.
Visit the Blavatnik Archive
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.