Isabel Hilton, Heather Brooke and Tomiwa Owolade among Baillie Gifford 2024 judges

Journalist, broadcaster and China Dialogue founder Isabel Hilton will chair the panel of judges for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2024.
Hilton will be joined by author and investigative journalist Heather Brooke; Alison Flood, comment and culture editor for the New Scientist and former previewer at The Bookseller; Peter Hoskin, the culture editor of Prospect; writer and critic Tomiwa Owolade; and author and food and TV critic Chitra Ramaswamy.
The announcement coincides with the opening of submissions for this year’s prize. Publishers will have until 11th June to enter up to three non-fiction books per imprint with publication dates between 1st November 2023 and 31st October 2024. The winner receives £50,000.

Toby Mundy, executive director of the prize, said: “Chaired by Isabel Hilton and comprising celebrated writers, critics and journalists, this diverse group brings a breadth of perspectives and a depth of knowledge to the extraordinarily difficult — but I hope rewarding — process of selecting the very best non-fiction books of 2024. As they embark on this journey together, it’s exciting to anticipate the selections this group will make in this, the prize’s 26th year.”

Hilton added: “This is such an honour and a hugely exciting challenge. I am looking forward to rigorous and engaging debates on great books with this year’s brilliant judges.”  

Last year’s award was won by John Vaillant with Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World (Sceptre).