Baillie Gifford Prize

Nov 29 2024 84 ep. 33 mins 166

Baillie Gifford Prize Podcast artwork

The Read Smart Podcast is hosted by Razia Iqbal, John L. Weinberg Professor at Princeton University, produced by The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction and is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The new series builds on last year’s successful podcasts released to celebrate the prize’s 21st anniversary. Each month, Razia explores the increasingly popular world of non-fiction books. Expect to hear from prize winning authors, judges and publishing insiders. It also goes behind the scenes of the 2020 prize, which is awarded this autumn. For more information, visit thebailliegiffordprize.co.uk and follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @BGPrize

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Read Smart: The 2024 Winner

Nov 29 2024 31 mins

Tune into the final Read Smart podcast of the year, where Georgina Godwin speaks to the Baillie Gifford Prize 2024 winner, Richard Flanagan. Hear more from Richard about his origins as an author, alongside how the events from both history and his personal life inspired the ‘chain reactions’ explored throughout Question 7. Listen now to hear all about it. This podcast is g

Read Smart: Viet Thanh Nguyen

Nov 15 2024 15 mins

Tune into our final 'In Conversation' podcast, where we chat to Việt Thanh Nguyễn, who has been shortlisted for his book, A Man of Two Faces, which masterfully intertwines personal and historical narratives with humour and lyricism. Nguyễn's work reflects on memory, the duality of identity, and the American experience. Listen now to hear all about it. This podcast is generou

Read Smart: David Van Reybrouck

Nov 14 2024 23 mins

Join us for the next episode of The Read Smart podcast, as we welcome David Van Reybrouck, acclaimed author of Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World. Revolusi, a bestseller in the Netherlands and now shortlisted for The Baillie Gifford Prize, offers a gripping narrative of Indonesia's fight for independence and its impact on global decolonisation. Discover the untol

Read Smart: Richard Flanagan

Nov 07 2024 20 mins

Tune into our next 'In Conversation' podcast, where we chat to Richard Flanagan, who has been shortlisted for his brilliant book, Question 7. From the affair between H.G. Wells and Rebecca West to developments in 1930s nuclear physics, Flanagan has crafted a poignant love song to his island home, his parents, and the haunting echoes of the past in this book. Through a hypnotic blen

Read Smart: Annie Jacobsen

Nov 05 2024 15 mins

Tune into our next 'In Conversation' podcast, where we chat to Annie Jacobsen, who has been shortlisted for the prize this year with Nuclear War: A Scenario. Jacobsen’s book explores the chilling minute-by-minute protocols that would unfold if a rogue state launched a nuclear missile at the United States and is a gripping exploration of nuclear conflict, sparking crucial discussi

Read Smart: Rachel Clarke

Nov 01 2024 17 mins

Tune into our next 'In Conversation' podcast, where we chat to Dr Rachel Clarke about her shortlisted book, The Story of a Heart, which intertwines the poignant tales of two children connected by a heart transplant. Hear Dr Clarke discuss the dedication of healthcare professionals and incredible medical advancements that make miracles like these possible, and why she believes conve

Read Smart: Sue Prideaux

Oct 29 2024 12 mins

Tune in to the first of our 'In Conversation' podcast episodes, where we speak to all six of this year's shortlisted authors about their extraordinary works of non-fiction. First up, Georgina Godwin speaks to Sue Prideaux, author of 'Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gauguin'. Prideaux's award-winning works have captivated readers worldwide. From her James Tait Black Memorial Prize-wi

Read Smart: The 2024 Shortlist

Oct 21 2024 11 mins

Tune into the latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast, where host Georgina Godwin is joined by Heather Brooke, a member of this year's judging panel, to discuss the 2024 shortlist. Why did these six books stand out from the rest of the longlist? Listen now to hear all about it. The 2024 shortlist: - The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clarke - Question 7 by Richard Flanagan - Nuclear

Read Smart: The 2024 Longlist

Sep 18 2024 51 mins

Tune into the latest episode of the Read Smart podcast, where two of our judges – Peter Hoskin and Chitra Ramaswamy – explore the 2024 longlist with our host, Georgina Godwin. Spanning the subjects of displacement, colonialism and nuclear war, this year's longlist unapologetically holds up a mirror to our contemporary world. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is gene

Read Smart: Real Lives, Real Minds - Mental Health Within Non

Aug 30 2024 25 mins

Tune in to the next episode of The Read Smart Podcast, where Georgina Godwin speaks to Christina Lamb and Catrina Davies about the complex and delicate matter of exploring mental health and private contemplation on the public literary stage. Listen now to hear all about it. This podcast is generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. To keep up with the Prize news a