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The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction

The UK's premier annual prize for non-fiction books

The Baillie Gifford Prize rewards excellence in non-fiction writing, bringing the best in intelligent reflection on the world to new readers. It covers all non-fiction in the areas of current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts. We celebrate the best in contemporary non-fiction writing as we believe all the best stories are true.

Toby Mundy, Prize Director

The 2023 Prize

Congratulations to John Vaillant, author of Fire Weather, who was named the winner of the 2023 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction last November.

Key dates in the 2023 prize

Entries opened

17 April 2023

Longlist announced

6 September 2023

Shortlist announced

8 October 2023

Winner & prize ceremony

16 November 2023

More about the 2023 prize

The Prize announces the 2023 winner

We are delighted to announce that John Vaillant is the winner of the 2023 Baillie Gifford Prize. 

Read more about the 2023 winner

A one off documentary

To celebrate 25 years of the prize in 2023, we shared this one-off documentary with you. All The Best Stories Are True explores the history of the prize. From nail-biting moments to life changing stories, the documentary uncovers how the prize started out as the non-fiction rival to the Booker, and what the next two and a half decades hold for readers and writers in a world now steeped in ‘fake news’.

The 2022 Prize

Find out more about all the books that made the 2022 longlist and shortlist here. 

Find out more about the 2022 Prize