Best Baillie Gifford Prize Podcasts (2024)

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#192: Harlan Coben, novelist 1:00:44

7d ago1:00:44

1:00:44

Simon and Rachel speak to the novelist Harlan Coben. Harlan's suspense novels are published in 46 languages and have been number-one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries, with 80 million books in print worldwide. His Myron Bolitar series, centred on a basketball player turned agent, has earned the Edgar, Shamus and Anthony Awards. Several of …

1
#191: Anna Funder, non-fiction author and novelist 1:03:39

24d ago1:03:39

1:03:39

Rachel and Simon speak to the non-fiction author and novelist Anna Funder. After training as an international human-rights lawyer in Australia, Anna moved to Germany and published "Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall" in 2003; the book won the Samuel Johnson Prize (now known as the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction). Her debut novel,…

1
#190: Toby Mundy, literary agent and executive director of the Baillie Gifford Prize 1:00:13

1M ago1:00:13

1:00:13

In this episode Simon and Rachel speak with Toby Mundy, the CEO of the UK office of the international literary agency Aevitas Creative Management, and executive director of the Baillie Gifford Prize for non-fiction. Toby has worked in the publishing industry for more than three decades. After starting his career at HarperCollins he founded Atlantic…

1
Read Smart: We Need To Talk About... 40:11

2M ago40:11

40:11

Tune in to the next episode of the Read Smart Podcast, where 2022 Baillie Gifford Prize judge, Georgina Godwin, speaks to 2023 winner John Vaillant, social geographer Danny Dorling and writer and award-winning journalist Jennifer Nadel about the crucial topics which are often overlooked by mainstream media. Which topic do you think is neglected mos…

1
#189: Naomi Klein, non-fiction author 57:17

2M ago57:17

57:17

Rachel and Simon speak with the non-fiction author Naomi Klein. Her debut book, "No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies", sold more than 1m copies after its publication in 1999; her follow-up, "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism" (2007), also reached the top of the New York Times bestseller charts. She has written extensively abo…

1
#188: Hugo Rifkind, journalist and novelist 1:00:41

2M ago1:00:41

1:00:41

Simon and Rachel speak with Hugo Rifkind, a journalist who has just published his second novel, "Rabbits". Born and raised in Edinburgh, Hugo studied philosophy at university. He has formerly been a columnist for the Spectator, GQ and the Herald, and is now a columnist, critic and leader writer for the Times and a presenter on Times Radio, as well …

1
#187: Pari Thomson, editorial director for picture books, Bloomsbury, and children’s author 1:02:55

3M ago1:02:55

1:02:55

Rachel and Simon speak with Pari Thomson, editorial director for picture books at Bloomsbury and also a children's author. After an international childhood, Paris studied English at university; she began her career with stints at a literary agency, as a bookseller at Waterstones and as a manuscript reader. She joined Bloomsbury in 2016 and now comm…

1
#186: Hisham Matar, novelist and non-fiction writer 51:51

3M ago51:51

51:51

Simon and Rachel speak with the novelist and non-fiction writer Hisham Matar. Born in New York to Libyan parents, Hisham spent his childhood in Tripoli and Cairo and has lived most of his life in London. He is the author of the novels "In the Country of Men", which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and "Anatomy of a Disappearance", as well …

1
Read Smart: Understanding China 38:20

3M ago38:20

38:20

Join us for the latest episode of The Read Smart podcast, where host Razia Iqbal speaks to Isabel Hilton, 2024 Chair of Judges and founder of China Dialogue and Tania Branigan, The Guardian’s foreign leader writer. Together, Razia and our guests discuss the complex cultural legacy of China, alongside the opportunities and challenges the country has…

1
#185: Bettany Hughes, historian 57:04

4M ago57:04

57:04

Rachel and Simon speak with the historian Bettany Hughes. A specialist in ancient and medieval history, Bettany is the author of five books: “Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore”, “The Hemlock Cup, Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life”, “Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities”, “Venus & Aphrodite” and “The Seven Wonders of the Ancient Wo…

1
Read Smart: Gardens Past and Present 38:41

4M ago38:41

38:41

Join us for the next episode of The Read Smart podcast, where host Razia Iqbal joins writer, historian and former Baillie Gifford Prize judge, Ruth Scurr and Allan Jenkins, editor of Observer Food Monthly to discuss the cultural, historical and personal significance of gardens within the non-fiction landscape. Our guests explore how the action of g…

1
#184: Paul Theroux, novelist and travel writer 1:01:16

4M ago1:01:16

1:01:16

Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist and travel writer Paul Theroux. Born in Massachusetts, as a young man he worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi and taught at universities in Uganda and Singapore. He published his first novel, "Waldo", in 1967, and since then has written numerous works of fiction and non-fiction, including "The Great R…

1
#183: Madhumita Murgia, journalist and author 59:42

5M ago59:42

59:42

Simon and Rachel speak with the journalist and author Madhumita Murgia. She is currently the Financial Times' first Artificial Intelligence Editor, where she covers developments in AI globally and broader issues including surveillance, data privacy and tech regulation. Before she joined the FT, she was head of technology at the Daily Telegraph, and…

1
#182: Nicholas Shakespeare, novelist and biographer 1:01:07

5M ago1:01:07

1:01:07

Simon and Rachel speak with the novelist and biographer Nicholas Shakespeare. He began his career as a journalist, working for the Times and the Telegraph, before turning to book-writing in the 1980s. His debut novel, "The Vision of Elena Silves" (1989), won the Somerset Maugham Award; "The Dancer Upstairs" was named the best novel of 1995 by the A…

1
#181: Juliet Mabey, co-founder and publisher, Oneworld Publications 58:26

5M ago58:26

58:26

Rachel and Simon speak to Juliet Mabey, co-founder and publisher of Oneworld Publications. She established the company in 1986 with her husband, Novin Doostdar, as an independent publishing house focusing on non-fiction. Its books have covered a broad range of subjects, including biography, history, politics and science, and have won prizes includi…

1
#180: Jo Nesbø, novelist 53:36

6M ago53:36

53:36

Simon and Rachel speak with Jo Nesbø, one of the world's bestselling crime writers. Jo's writing career began when he was commissioned to produce a memoir about life on the road with his band, Di Derre, and he instead came up with the plot for his first Harry Hole crime novel, "The Bat". His books - including "The Leopard", "Phantom", "Police", "Th…

1
Read Smart: Insight into a Year of Elections 35:15

6M ago35:15

35:15

Tune into the first Read Smart episode of 2024 - and what a year it's set to be. With more than two billion voters in 50 countries heading to the polls, 2024 is set to be the biggest election year in history. Join host Razia Iqbal, as she delves into the topic with author and journalist, Samanth Subramanian and Associate Editor of The Financial Tim…

1
#179: Jhumpa Lahiri, novelist and short-story writer 57:24

6M ago57:24

57:24

Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist and short-story writer Jhumpa Lahiri. Her bestselling debut story collection, “Interpreter of Maladies”, won the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction in 2000 and was translated into more than 30 languages. Her debut novel, “The Namesake”, was published to acclaim in 2003 and adapted into a film in 2006; “The Lowland” (…

1
#178: Adam Thirlwell, novelist 54:06

7M ago54:06

54:06

Simon and Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist Adam Thirlwell. The author of four novels - the first of which, "Politics", was published in 2003 when he was 24, and the latest of which is "The Future Future" - Adam's work has been translated into 30 languages. His essays appear in the New York Review of Books and the London Review of Books, and…

1
#177: Philippa Gregory, novelist and historian 57:32

7M ago57:32

57:32

Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist and historian Philippa Gregory. She began her career in journalism and worked at BBC Radio before publishing her first historical novel, "Wideacre", in 1987 while she was completing a PhD in 18th-century literature. Other bestselling novels followed, including "The Other Boleyn Girl" - which was adapted into…

1
#176: Henry Jeffreys, drinks writer 54:45

8M ago54:45

54:45

Simon and Rachel speak to the drinks writer Henry Jeffreys, who won Fortnum & Mason Drink Writer of the Year for 2022/23. Henry is the author of four books on alcohol: "Empire of Booze", a history of Britain and its empire told through the origin stories of various drinks; "The Home Bar"; "The Cocktail Dictionary"; and, most recently, "Vines in a C…

1
#175: Kassia St. Clair, journalist and author 1:04:57

8M ago1:04:57

1:04:57

Rachel and Simon speak to the journalist, author and former co-host of Always Take Notes, Kassia St. Clair. She has written for Architectural Digest, The Economist, the Times Literary Supplement and Wired, and had a column in Elle Decoration for many years. Her first book, “The Secret Lives of Colour”, recounted the “unusual stories of the 75 most …

1
#174: Adam Sisman, biographer 51:20

9M ago51:20

51:20

Simon and Rachel speak with the biographer Adam Sisman. After an initial career in publishing, Adam's first book, a biography of historian A.J.P. Taylor, appeared in 1994. His second, "Boswell's Presumptuous Task" (2000), won the US National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography, and he has subsequently written biographies of another historian, H…

1
The 2023 Winner 48:50

9M ago48:50

48:50

Tune into the final Read Smart episode of the year, where host Razia Iqbal will be speaking to the 2023 winner John Vaillant, author of Fire Weather, on how he feels following last Thursday’s announcement. Razia will also be joined by some students from the University of Birmingham, who have been following the Prize this term and share their though…

1
The 2023 Shortlist: Jennifer Homans 37:34

9M ago37:34

37:34

Tune into the latest episode of the Read Smart podcast, which is dedicated to Jennifer Homans and her #BGPrize2023 shortlisted work, Mr B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century. Recognised as the first major biography of the legendary choreographer and based on more than one hundred interviews, Jennifer’s work takes readers through the tumultuous life o…

1
#173: Victoria Hislop, novelist 59:07

9M ago59:07

59:07

Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist Victoria Hislop. After studying English at university, Victoria worked in book publishing, PR and journalism. She turned to fiction in 2005 with “The Island”, a love story set on Spinalonga, Greece’s former leprosy colony. The novel was translated into 40 languages and sold more than six million copies world…

1
The 2023 Shortlist: Tania Branigan 38:21

9M ago38:21

38:21

Tune into this special shortlist edition of the Read Smart podcast, where Toby Mundy speaks to #BGPrize2023 shortlisted author Tania Branigan about her book, Red Memory: Living, Remembering and Forgetting China’s Cultural Revolution. Branigan’s book explores and uncovers forty years of rarely heard stories surrounding this Cultural Revolution, begg…

1
The 2023 Shortlist: Hannah Barnes 28:39

9M ago28:39

28:39

Tune into this special shortlist edition of the Read Smart podcast, where Razia Iqbal speaks to #BGPrize2023 shortlisted author, Hannah Barnes about Time To Think: The Inside Story of the Collapse of the Tavistock’s Gender Service for Children. Through unprecedented access to thousands of pages of documents, internal emails, unpublished reports and…

1
The 2023 Shortlist: Christopher Clark 51:10

9M ago51:10

51:10

Tune into this episode of The Read Smart podcast, where host Toby Mundy speaks to 2023 shortlisted author Christopher Clark. Christopher’s book, Revolutionary Spring: Fighting for New World 1848-1849, details this extraordinary year in European history, where demonstrators rebelled against societal structures, governments and armies lost control an…

1
The 2023 Shortlist: John Vaillant 34:37

9M ago34:37

34:37

Tune into the latest episode of the Read Smart podcast, where Toby Mundy will be speaking to another one of this year’s shortlisted authors, John Vaillant. John’s work Fire Weather explores the apocalyptic wildfire that took place in Fort McMurray in 2016, as well as the past and future of our increasingly flammable world. The shortlisted book delv…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Baillie Gifford Prize Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

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Baillie Gifford Prize

Baillie Gifford Prize

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Always Take Notes

Always Take Notes

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#192: Harlan Coben, novelist 1:00:44

1
#191: Anna Funder, non-fiction author and novelist 1:03:39

1
#190: Toby Mundy, literary agent and executive director of the Baillie Gifford Prize 1:00:13

1
Read Smart: We Need To Talk About... 40:11

1
#189: Naomi Klein, non-fiction author 57:17

1
#188: Hugo Rifkind, journalist and novelist 1:00:41

1
#187: Pari Thomson, editorial director for picture books, Bloomsbury, and children’s author 1:02:55

1
#186: Hisham Matar, novelist and non-fiction writer 51:51

1
Read Smart: Understanding China 38:20

1
#185: Bettany Hughes, historian 57:04

1
Read Smart: Gardens Past and Present 38:41

1
#184: Paul Theroux, novelist and travel writer 1:01:16

1
#183: Madhumita Murgia, journalist and author 59:42

1
#182: Nicholas Shakespeare, novelist and biographer 1:01:07

1
#181: Juliet Mabey, co-founder and publisher, Oneworld Publications 58:26

1
#180: Jo Nesbø, novelist 53:36

1
Read Smart: Insight into a Year of Elections 35:15

1
#179: Jhumpa Lahiri, novelist and short-story writer 57:24

1
#178: Adam Thirlwell, novelist 54:06

1
#177: Philippa Gregory, novelist and historian 57:32

1
#176: Henry Jeffreys, drinks writer 54:45

1
#175: Kassia St. Clair, journalist and author 1:04:57

1
#174: Adam Sisman, biographer 51:20

1
The 2023 Winner 48:50

1
The 2023 Shortlist: Jennifer Homans 37:34

1
#173: Victoria Hislop, novelist 59:07

1
The 2023 Shortlist: Tania Branigan 38:21

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The 2023 Shortlist: Hannah Barnes 28:39

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The 2023 Shortlist: Christopher Clark 51:10

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The 2023 Shortlist: John Vaillant 34:37

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