Read Smart: Leadership Debate - The Political Biography with Sonia Purnell and John Rentoul

On 5th September, the Conservative Party will announce the next leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party and the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Ahead of this, tune into the latest episode of the Read Smart podcast, where Razia Iqbal, is joined by Sonia Purnell, who has written biographies on Boris Johnson and Clementine Churchill, alongside John Rentoul, Chief Political Commentator for The Independent and author of a number of books on Tony Blair and New Labour. Razia and our guests explore the importance of the political biography, delving into the difficulties of separating the author’s beliefs from that of their subject, and how the ascent of the celebrity politician has affected the genre.

The longlist of the 2022 Baillie Gifford Prize will be announced on 13 September, the shortlist on 10 October and the winner on 17 November this year.

Read Smart Podcast is commissioned by The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction and is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation.