The Baillie Gifford Prize, which honors nonfiction books by authors of any nationality in the areas of current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography, and the arts, announced its shortlist Sunday at the Cheltenham Literature Festival.
The finalists include books by two British authors: Time to Think: The Inside Story of the Collapse of the Tavistock's Gender Service for Children, by Hannah Barnes, and Red Memory: The Afterlives of China’s Cultural Revolution, by Tania Branigan.
Two books by American authors were also selected—Time’s Echo: The Second World War, The Holocaust, and The Music of Remembrance by Jeremy Eichler and Mr. B: George Balanchine’s Twentieth Century by Jennifer Homans—as was American-Canadian writer John Vaillant’s Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World.
Revolutionary Spring: Europe Aflame and the Fight for a New World, 1848-1849, by Australian author Christopher Clark rounded out the list.
The six books were selected from the prize’s longlist of 12 titles, which were chosen from 265 books published between November 2022 and October 2023.
Financial Times Literary Editor Frederick Studemann, who chaired a judging committee that included historian and author Andrea Wulf, Guardian theater critic Arifa Akbar, writer and historian Ruth Scurr, journalist and critic Tanjil Rashid, and Royal Society of Arts Chief Executive Andrew Haldane, commended the shortlist’s “range, originality and relevance.”
“While each title is distinct and different—some are the result of a lifetime's work, others the product of courageous and clear-sighted reporting—they are all top class, thought-provoking, even surprising, works of literary nonfiction,” Studemann said in a statement.
The prize, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, will award 50,000 British pounds to the winning author, which is about $61,000. The winner will be announced on Nov. 16.
Amy Reiter is a freelance writer.
