The Bookseller’s Caroline Sanderson to chair judges for Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-fiction 2022

Writer and associate editor of The Bookseller Caroline Sanderson has been announced as chair of the judging panel for this year’s Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-fiction.

Sanderson, author of Listen with Father (Unbound) and The Bookseller’s non-fiction previewer, will be joined on the panel by writer and science journalist Laura Spinney, critic and writer for the Observer Rachel Cooke, BBC journalist and presenter Clive Myrie, author and New Yorker writer Samanth Subramanian, and the critic and broadcaster Georgina Godwin.

The prize aims to recognise and reward the best of non-fiction and is open to authors of any nationality. It covers all non-fiction in the areas of current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts.

Sanderson said: "The Baillie Gifford Prize has always provided a touchstone of excellence in my more than 20 years of championing outstanding non-fiction as a books journalist. I’m honoured to be chairing the 2022 Prize at a time when creative, enquiring and authoritative non-fiction has arguably never been as important, and I’m excited at the prospect of discussing and rewarding the best of this year’s publishing alongside such an expert panel of writers, broadcasters and critics.”

From today, publishers have until 17th June 2022 to enter up to three non-fiction books per imprint with publication dates between 1st November 2021 and 31st October 2022.  

The winner of the 2022 prize will be announced on 17th November, following the shortlist announcement in October at the Cheltenham Literature Festival and longlist in September. Patrick Radden Keefe won the 2021 prize for Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty (Picador).

Toby Mundy, director of the Baillie Gifford Prize, added: “I’m thrilled that we have another stellar group to judge the Baillie Gifford Prize, 2022. With such a giddying range of interests and expertise, I can’t wait to see the books that Caroline and her team choose.”