The Blavatnik Family Foundation supports the Baillie Gifford Prize for the fifth year in a row
This year the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2020 has been awarded to author Craig Brown, for his book One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time. Brown’s work, which the judges declared has revolutionized the art of biography, tells the extraordinary story of the famous group from Liverpool, UK, and those within their orbit.
The Blavatnik Family Foundation has been a sponsor of the prestigious prize since 2015, working with the organizers to promote some of the greatest talent in literature.
The Prize rewards the best non-fiction writing published in the UK from a range of thought-provoking authors. Shortlisted authors offer a captivating lens on the world in the areas of current affairs, sport, politics, science, travel and the arts along with biography and autobiography.
In addition to the Blavatnik Family Foundation hosting the annual awards ceremony, the Foundation also supported the new Baillie Gifford Prize podcast series, Read Smart. The podcast enhanced the event by following the journey of the Prize throughout the year, covering news and announcements as they unfold. It discusses the world of non-fiction writing more generally and its increasing popularity.
Toby Mundy, the executive director of the Prize, says of the Foundation’s sponsorship: “The support of the Blavatnik Family Foundation has been absolutely central to our efforts this decade to grow the Baillie Gifford Prize into the world’s pre-eminent literary award for non-fiction writing. As the internet increasingly fills up with misleading and false information, expert writers whose literary skills enables them to reach large international audience are more important than ever. The Blavatnik Family Foundation’s sponsorship of our awards ceremony and our year-round podcasts enable us to promote the prize to opinion formers and the general public in ways that would otherwise be impossible.”
Len Blavatnik and the Blavatnik Family Foundation look forward to continuing their longstanding partnership with the Baillie Gifford Prize and remain committed to supporting the arts and literature in the future.