John Vaillant's Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World wins The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2023 worth £50,000

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The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2023

17 Nov, 2023, 15:36 IST

LONDON, Nov. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World by John Vaillant is tonight, Thursday 16 November, named winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2023. The winner was announced at a ceremony hosted at the Science Museum and generously supported by The Blavatnik Family Foundation.

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Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World by John Vaillant is announced as the winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2023 at a ceremony hosted at the Science Museum and generously supported by The Blavatnik Family Foundation.
Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World by John Vaillant is announced as the winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2023 at a ceremony hosted at the Science Museum and generously supported by The Blavatnik Family Foundation.
John Vaillant gives a speech after being announced as the winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2023 with Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World at an award ceremony at the Science Museum, London.
John Vaillant gives a speech after being announced as the winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2023 with Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World at an award ceremony at the Science Museum, London.

Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World tells the story of the devastating wildfires that struck Fort McMurray, Alberta in 2016. John Valliant examines the interconnected narratives of the oil industry and climate science, the devastation caused by modern wildfires, and the impacts on the lives of those affected by these disasters.

The Baillie Gifford Prize aims to recognise and reward the best of non-fiction and is open to authors of any nationality. Vaillant will receive £50,000, while the other shortlisted authors will each receive £5,000, bringing the total value of to £75,000.

Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World was chosen by this year's judging panel: Frederick Studemann (chair); Andrea Wulf, Arifa Akbar, Ruth Scurr, Tanjil Rashid and Andrew Haldane. Their selection was made from the 6 books on the shortlist, which were chosen from 265 submissions, all of which were published between 1 November 2022 and 31 October 2023.

READ SMART the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction's podcast, also supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation will release an episode devoted to the winner of the 2023 award next week.

For more information:

thebailliegiffordprize.co.uk | @BGPrize | #BGPrize2023
Alethea Norman-Rhodes / [email protected] / 07703 751 638

Notes to Editors

About Baillie Gifford, The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction and The Blavatnik Family Foundation:

  • Baillie Gifford is an independent investment partnership founded in 1908. As part of its sponsorship programme the firm supports a number of initiatives in the arts, academia and local good citizenship.

  • The Blavatnik Family Foundation is a private, self-funded charitable foundation, established by Sir Leonard Blavatnik, a global philanthropist committed to advancing science, higher education, good government and the arts through meaningful involvement and charitable giving. Over the past decade, the Foundation has contributed more than $1 billion to over 250 charitable institutions worldwide.

  • The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction is owned by The Samuel Johnson Prize Ltd, a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee.  

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