The shortlist for the Baillie Gifford Prize has been revealed, with six books in contention for the annual U.K. award given to an outstanding work of nonfiction.
Viet Thanh Nguyen made the shortlist for A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial, which was previously longlisted for the National Book Award. Richard Flanagan was named a finalist for his experimental memoir Question 7; should he win, he would become the first author ever to win both the Baillie Gifford and the Booker Prize.
Sue Prideaux, who was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford in 2012 for Strindberg: A Life, was named a finalist this year for Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gauguin; the book is set for publication in the U.S. next year. Rachel Clarke made the shortlist for The Story of a Heart: Two Families, One Heart, and the Medical Miracle that Saved a Child’s Life; she made the Baillie Gifford longlist in 2020 for Dear Life.
Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen was named a finalist for this year’s prize along with Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World, written by David Van Reybrouck and translated by David Colmer and David McKay.
The Baillie Gifford Prize was established in 1999. Previous winners include James S. Shapiro for A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599and Helen Macdonald for H Is for Hawk.
The winner of this year’s award will be announced on Nov. 19.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
