Best Baillie Gifford Prize Podcasts (2024)

1
Read Smart: Understanding China 38:20

1M 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
Gardens Past and Present 38:41

2M 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
Read Smart: Insight into a Year of Elections 35:15

4M 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
Ep. 39: Andrew Liveris on Managing Through Disruption 39:19

4M ago39:19

39:19

Former Dow chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris shares insights on leading companies in an era of disruption and geopolitical uncertainty. He discusses instilling a solutions mindset in the next generation to drive change in business, society, and government, and how activists and short-term "renters" of stock can impact long-term strategic thinking. To…

1
Ep. 38: IFM's David Neal on Harnessing the Potential of Pension Capital 42:04

6M ago42:04

42:04

Sarah Williamson and David Neal discuss the history and evolution of IFM Investors, the importance of stakeholder engagement for infrastructure investments, adopting a "profit-to-member" philosophy, and more. Overview of the Australian superannuation pension system and how it is structured to give individual choice (5:46) How the "profit to member"…

1
The 2023 Winner 48:50

7M 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

7M 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
The 2023 Shortlist: Tania Branigan 38:21

7M 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

7M 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

7M 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

7M 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…

1
The 2023 Shortlist: Jeremy Eichler 45:57

7M ago45:57

45:57

Tune into the first of our Read Smart special shortlist episodes, where we will be chatting to all six of this year’s shortlisted authors in the run up to the winner announcement. First up, Prize Director Toby Mundy speaks to Jeremy Eichler, author of Time’s Echo: The Second World War, the Holocaust and the Music of Remembrance about how music bear…

1
The 2023 Shortlist 44:13

8M ago44:13

44:13

Tune into the special shortlist episode of the Read Smart podcast, which features the Baillie Gifford Prize live event from Cheltenham Literature Festival last Sunday. Hear Chair of Judges Frederick Studemann speak to last year’s winner, Katherine Rundell, about her fascination for the electric life and work of poet John Donne, alongside the moment…

1
Ep. 37: Blackstone's Jon Gray on Finding Opportunities in Market Shifts and Global Megatrends 33:45

9M ago33:45

33:45

For long-term investors, staying ahead of the curve is imperative. Jon Gray, President and Chief Operating Officer of Blackstone Group, joins the podcast to explore how Blackstone is navigating macro market shifts, the advantages of scale, and using data management capabilities to identify patterns and make better investment decisions.…

1
Ep. 36: OTPP's Jonathan Hausman on Long-term Investing in a Changing World 46:18

9M ago46:18

46:18

Jonathan Hausman, Executive Managing Director for Global Investment Strategy at Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan joins the show to explore OTPP's focus on long-term strategies and perspectives. Topics include: Understanding OTPP's Unique Investment Model: At OTPP, the key to success lies in a distinctive model for managing pension assets, which prior…

1
Read Smart: The 2023 Longlist 43:46

9M ago43:46

43:46

Tune into the latest episode of the Read Smart podcast, where two of our judges – Arifa Akbar and Ruth Scurr – will be delving into the 2023 longlist with our host, Razia Iqbal. Spanning the complex themes of war, memory, revolution and science, this year’s longlist illuminates a myriad of historical topics, bringing to life forgotten stories that …

1
Ep. 35: Baillie Gifford's Stuart Dunbar on "Actual Investing" 43:57

12M ago43:57

43:57

Investment management can sometimes feel like an intricate and complex industry, but does it have to be? Stuart Dunbar, a partner at Baillie Gifford, joins the Going Long podcast to explore the philosophy of “actual investing” – focusing on the fundamentals of deploying capital in the real world, and looking past that complexity to invest in projec…

1
Ep. 34: Lucy Parker, author of "The Activist Leader" 49:12

1y ago49:12

49:12

When sustainability and innovation are prioritized together, something transformational happens. Delivering social and environmental value creates new opportunities for generating long-term financial value. Lucy Parker, Strategic Advisor at the Brunswick Group, and co-author of “The Activist Leader: A New Mindset for Doing Business” joins the Going…

1
Ep. 33: Carine Smith Ihenacho, NBIM 30:59

1y ago30:59

30:59

The latest episode of Going Long features Carine Smith Ihenacho, Chief Governance and Compliance Officer at Norwegian Bank Investment Management (NBIM). The conversation dives into how NBIM's mandate to benefit future generations drives its focus on responsible investing, the importance of alignment, transparency, and simplicity in executive compen…

1
James Shapiro - The Baillie Gifford Prize Winner of Winners 11:05

1y ago11:05

11:05

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast is dedicated to our Winner of Winners, James Shapiro, who won our 25th anniversary award two weeks ago today with 1599: A Year In the Life of William Shakespeare. Listen to Shapiro and Iqbal discuss the literary canon, the cultural significance of Shakespeare’s plays and the Bard’s influence on contempor…

1
Read Smart: The Winner of Winners Shortlist - Patrick Radden Keefe 31:55

1y ago31:55

31:55

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast features Prize Director Toby Mundy speaking to Patrick Radden Keefe, who won the prize in 2021 with Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty. Radden Keefe and Mundy together explore the dark and murky methods of the Sackler family, as well as the consequences of the crisis that are still…

1
Read Smart: The Winner of Winners Shortlist - Margaret MacMillan 29:30

1y ago29:30

29:30

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast features Razia Iqbal speaking to Margaret MacMillan, author of Paris 1919, formerly titled Peacemakers, about how the book casts a new light on the negotiations that influenced the modern world. As the first woman to ever win the Baillie Gifford Prize in 2002, MacMillan explores the fascinating figures b…

1
Read Smart: The Winner of Winners Shortlist - Wade Davis 33:47

1y ago33:47

33:47

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast features host Razia Iqbal speaking to Wade Davis, 2012 winner of The Baillie Gifford Prize, about Into The Silence, a book delving into the psychological aftermath of the First World War and mountaineer George Mallory’s fatal expedition to Mount Everest. The Guardian has praised Davis’ work, highlighting…

1
Read Smart: The Winner of Winner's Shortlist - James Shapiro 25:34

1y ago25:34

25:34

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast continues our Winner of Winners series, where each of the shortlisted authors are interviewed. This week, host Razia Iqbal will be speaking to James Shapiro, who won the prize in 2006 with 1599: A Year In The Life of William Shakespeare. Iqbal and Shapiro explore life in Elizabethan England, how Shakespe…

1
Read Smart: The Winner of Winners Shortlist: Craig Brown 32:28

1y ago32:28

32:28

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast features host Razia Iqbal speaking to Craig Brown about his book One, Two, Three, Four: The Beatles in Time, which won the Baillie Gifford Prize in 2020. Brown’s book has been described by The Guardian as “not a biography so much as a group portrait in vignettes, a rearrangement of stories and legends wh…

1
Read Smart: The Winner of Winners shortlist – Barbara Demick 32:32

1y ago32:32

32:32

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast kicks off the first of our special Winners of Winners episodes, in which each of the shortlisted authors will be interviewed. This week, host Razia Iqbal will be speaking to Barbara Demick, who won the Prize in 2010 with Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea. In the book, Demick weaves together the …

1
The Winner Of Winners Shortlist 37:52

1+ y ago37:52

37:52

On 9th March, the Baillie Gifford Prize announced the shortlist for its 25th anniversary Winner of Winners award, which will go to the book the judges think is the best of the previous winners of the Prize. Listen in as host Razia Iqbal talks to judges Jason Cowley and Sarah Churchwell about which books they chose, and what the process has been lik…

1
Read Smart: A Quarter Century of the Prize, a 25th Anniversary Discussion 31:11

1+ y ago31:11

31:11

Listen to the latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast to discover more about the Prize’s history, and how the wider world of non-fiction has changed in the 25 years since it was first established. In this episode, former Baillie Gifford judge Razia Iqbal talks to Caroline Sanderson and Andrew Holgate, both of whom have chaired judging panels for t…

1
Life Under Dictatorships with Michael Burleigh, Barbara Demick and Frank Dikötter 35:41

1+ y ago35:41

35:41

Make sure you tune into the latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast, which explores what life is like in dictatorships across the world and throughout history. Our host Razia Iqbal will be joined by three former winners of the prize; Historian Michael Burleigh, journalist Barbara Demick and historian Frank Dikötter. They delve into the fascinating…

1
The 2022 Winner: Hear from Katherine Rundell 25:24

1+ y ago25:24

25:24

Tune into the final Read Smart podcast episode of the year, where 2022 prize winner Katherine Rundell discusses her book Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne and how she feels following the announcement. Our host Razia Iqbal also speaks to some of the other guests at the awards ceremony, including former judge Sara Collins, last year’s…

1
In Conversation: Toby Mundy and Caroline Elkins (2022 Shortlist) 29:56

1+ y ago29:56

29:56

Join Toby Mundy, director of the Baillie Gifford Prize and Caroline Elkins, author of the shortlisted book ‘Legacy of Violence’, for their discussion on how the British Empire used liberal rhetoric to justify repeated violence against its colonies.Listen in to Read Smart to hear all about how Caroline and a team of researchers uncovered this hidden…

1
In Conversation: Toby Mundy and Jonathan Freedland (2022 Shortlist) 37:29

1+ y ago37:29

37:29

Discover the Baillie Gifford Prize shortlist Toby Mundy, the prize’s director and Jonathan Freedland, author of ‘The Escape Artist’, which tells the story of Rudolph Vrba, who escaped Auschwitz to warn the world about the horrors of the Holocaust, saving thousands of lives.Tune in to hear what drew Jonathan to Vrba’s story in the first place, and w…

1
In Conversation: Toby Mundy and Polly Morland (2022 Shortlist) 30:59

1+ y ago30:59

30:59

Find out more about the Baillie Gifford Prize shortlist with director of the prize Toby Mundy and Polly Morland, author of ‘A Fortunate Woman’, who talks about the importance of the doctor/patient relationship and how she reinterpreted John Berger’s medical classic A Fortunate Man.Tune in to hear how Polly was first inspired to write the book, and …

1
In Conversation: Toby Mundy and Sally Hayden (2022 Shortlist) 34:19

1+ y ago34:19

34:19

Explore the Baillie Gifford Prize 2022 shortlist on Read Smart, as prize director Toby Mundy talks to Sally Hayden about her book ‘My Fourth Time, We Drowned’, and the role Europe plays in perpetuating the migrant crisis.Listen now to hear how migrants are ending up in refugee camps in Libya, and the importance of using the correct language when de…

1
In Conversation: Toby Mundy and Anna Keay (2022 Shortlist) 35:03

1+ y ago35:03

35:03

Dive into the Baillie Gifford Prize shortlist with director of the prize Toby Mundy and Anna Keay, author of ‘The Restless Republic’, who talks about providing new perspectives on the English civil war and its aftermath. Listen now to hear all about the colourful cast of characters that populate the book, and why it’s so difficult to understand the…

1
In Conversation: Toby Mundy and Katherine Rundell (2022 Shortlist) 33:45

1+ y ago33:45

33:45

Tune into the latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast, where our host and director of the Baillie Gifford Prize Toby Mundy, will be joined by Katherine Rundell, author of ‘Super Infinite’ to discuss why you should read about the extraordinary and tempestuous life of John Donne. Listen now to hear all about it. The podcast is generously supported b…

1
The 2022 Shortlist: Hear from judges Rachel Cooke and Georgina Godwin 22:49

1+ y ago22:49

22:49

Tune into the latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast, where our host Razia Iqbal will be joined by two members of our judging panel, Rachel Cooke and Georgina Godwin, to discuss the six books which have made the 2022 shortlist. The judges will give their reasons for why these six books stood out from the rest of the longlist, alongside how they c…

1
Ep. 32: John Connaughton, Bain Capital 33:11

1+ y ago33:11

33:11

Historically, the purpose of the private investment industry – whether public or private – has been simply to achieve a return. Bain’s John Connaughton joins the podcast to discuss how to break that stereotype, both within his organization and across the industry as a whole. Topics include: How mission and purpose drive its investment process and i…

1
The 2022 Longlist: Hear from judges Caroline Sanderson, Laura Spinney and Samanth Subramanian 46:30

1+ y ago46:30

46:30

The latest episode of The Read Smart Podcast, is dedicated entirely to our much anticipated longlist. Host Razia Iqbal is joined by three members of our judging panel, Caroline Sanderson, Laura Spinney and Samanth Subramanian, to discuss all twelve longlisted books and why these have been chosen to be in the running for this year’s prize. Listen no…

1
Ep. 31: Amy O'Brien, Head of Responsible Investing for Nuveen 37:41

1+ y ago37:41

37:41

Seventy percent of respondents of Nuveen’s annual Responsible Investing survey indicated that seeing the specific societal or environmental benefits of their investments is a critical motivator to participating in responsible investing. Amy O’Brien, Global Head of Responsible Investing for Nuveen, joins the Going Long podcast to discuss her team’s …

1
2022: Leadership Debate: The Political Biography with Sonia Purnell and John Rentoul 40:04

2y ago40:04

40:04

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, …

1
Ep. 30: Rachelle Sampson, Winner of the Panmure House Prize 36:54

2y ago36:54

36:54

Rachelle Sampson is an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business and the inaugural winner of the Panmure House Prize, an award for research into long-term investing and its relationship with innovation. Sampson joins the podcast to discuss her award-winning research, which analyzed the relationship between a firm’…

1
Ep. 29: Lori Heinel, State Street Global Advisors 36:01

2y ago36:01

36:01

What does fiduciary duty mean in 2022? Lori Heinel, Global CIO of State Street Global Advisors, joins the podcast to discuss how major shifts in the investment industry over the past decade have impacted organizational purpose, strategy, and outlook. Topics include: ESG and non-traditional reporting Navigating turbulent geopolitics as an asset mana…

1
2022: George Floyd: Two Years On with Tomiwa Owolade and Olivette Otele 40:14

2y ago40:14

40:14

Tune into the latest episode of the Read Smart podcast, ‘George Floyd: Two Years On’ where writer and critic Tomiwa Owolade and Olivette Otele PhD, Professor of the Legacies and Memory of Slavery at SOAS, discuss the widespread impact of George Floyd’s tragic death on both the cultural landscape and the publishing world. Our guests delve into the r…

1
Ep. 28: Scott Sperling, THL 41:13

2y ago41:13

41:13

Scott Sperling, Co-CEO of THL, joins the podcast to discuss how long-term investors can help build companies of lasting value. With a wide array of experience as a private equity investor and as chair of MassGeneralBrigham, Scott compares the governance models for middle-market companies and more mature organizations, how strategic incentives are c…

1
2022: Money Talks with Vicky Pryce and Joan C Williams 38:15

2y ago38:15

38:15

Tune into the latest episode of the Read Smart podcast, ‘Money Talks’ where our host Shahidha Bari speaks to economist Vicky Pryce and legal scholar Joan C Williams about the turbulent world of economics, where it stands in the non-fictional sphere and the state of our economy today. Our guests explore the reputation economics has as a science, as …

1
Ep. 27: Seth Alexander, MIT Investment Management Company 47:24

2y ago47:24

47:24

University endowments are meant to create long-term value by definition. In the case of the MIT Investment Management Company (MITIMCo), that long-term value supports not only world-class education but also cutting-edge research and innovation. Seth Alexander, President of MITIMCo, joins the podcast to discuss some of the strategic decisions his te…

1
2022: Ukraine: Lessons From History with Antony Beevor and Serhii Plokhii 56:56

2y ago56:56

56:56

On 24th February, Russia invaded Ukraine. In the weeks since, we’ve heard horrifying tales of human rights abuses and families forced to flee their homes. Nevertheless, Ukrainian forces have managed to resist the Russian military for now, whilst Western nations have expressed their support, sending relief to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia…

1
2022: Food Writing with Bee Wilson and Tom Tivnan 33:50

2+ y ago33:50

33:50

This month, our host Shahidha Bari is joined by food writer Bee Wilson and Tom Tivnan, managing editor of the Bookseller, to delve into the fascinating, complex and endlessly enjoyable genre of food writing. In this episode, Shahidha and our guests discuss the role the pandemic has played in the role of the cook book in our society, the controversi…

1
2022 Publishing Predictions with Matthew Hennessey and Alexis Kirschbaum 41:50

2+ y ago41:50

41:50

Welcome back for another season of Read Smart - the podcast that explores the world of non-fiction and provides you with some behind-the-scenes insights into the prestigious Baillie Gifford Prize. In this episode Shahidha Bari discusses the biggest trends to watch out for in non-fiction publishing during 2022, with industry experts Matthew Hennesse…

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Baillie Gifford Prize Podcasts

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